BEIJING,  (Xinhua) -- China still faces a tough task to prevent a resurgence of the COVID-19 epidemic caused by imported cases, a health official said Saturday.

The number of countries as sources of imported cases reported on the Chinese mainland rose to 50 on Friday, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC), at a press conference in Beijing.

Seven provincial-level regions reported newly imported cases or suspected cases on Friday, Mi noted, calling for targeted epidemic prevention and control measures as well as consistent personal protection.

The Chinese mainland reported 11 new confirmed cases and two suspicious ones imported from abroad on Friday, according to the NHC daily report.  ■