A LEADING Chinese coronavirus expert has warned of a second outbreak because of the increasing number of infected people coming in from abroad.

Professor Li Lanjuan, a member of Beijing’s expert team on the virus, said she was “very worried that imported cases could trigger another large-scale epidemic in our country”.

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Inbound passengers wearing masks walk through the arrivals hall at Hong Kong International Airport Credit: Getty Images – Getty

A worker wearing a protective suit checks the information of an inbound passenger at a temporary checkpoint at Shanghai airport Credit: Getty Images – Getty

A woman wears a protective mask and gloves as she rides the subway in Beijing Credit: Getty Images – Getty

The chilling second wave warning came after health officials reported China’s first case of someone who was believed to have caught coronavirus COVID-19, from another person who had just been abroad.

The 54-year-old businessman, identified by his surname Jin, had entered China from Turkey and was living in Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong.

The worrying news comes as the former epicentre Wuhan is slowly relaxing draconians lockdown rules.

Prof Li, 73, told China News: “Cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou have frequent international communications.

“[I am] very worried that imported cases could trigger another large-scale epidemic in our country.”

Imported cases could trigger another large-scale epidemic in our country Professor Li Lanjuan

Prof Li, who led her medical team to fight the virus in Wuhan for more than 50 days, also demanded officials identify everyone who has been infected with testing or the epidemic could be reignited.

China has reported a recent steep decline in fresh coronavirus cases in the epicentre Wuhan or surrounding Hubei province — signalling the epidemic there could be passing.

The deadly COVID-19 outbreak first emerged in the central region late last year and it has gone on to spread worldwide, infecting more than 350,000 people and killing over 15,000.

The concerns in China follow a move by Hong Kong to ban all tourists from entering the city, including transit arrivals, starting from Wednesday.

The island has seen a sudden surge in coronavirus cases in the past few days.

The Hong Kong Government confirmed 44 new cases yesterday, 29 of the which had travelled during the 14-day incubation period.

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Meanwhile Singapore today confirmed 54 new Covid-19 cases with the overwhelming majority of the cases coming from overseas.

Taiwan confirmed 26 more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the island to 195.

Airline passengers are banned from transiting through the country starting tomorrow through April 7.