BEIJING, March 18 (Reuters) - China reported one confirmed local COVID-19 case on Thursday (Mar 18), health authorities said.

The case in Xi'an city in northwestern Shaanxi province is the first locally transmitted case since Feb 14, although infections in people arriving in China from abroad have been frequently detected.

The Xi'an patient works at a local hospital and is responsible for collecting samples of people in quarantine for coronavirus testing, the provincial health commission said.