BEIJING — China’s government says it has helped facilitate the return home of more than 70,000 Chinese nationals from 92 foreign countries between the start of the coronavirus pandemic and Nov. 10.

Deputy Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui said some had returned home aboard chartered flights while others deployed separate means.

While local transmissions have been largely eliminated, the country remains on guard over imported cases, with Luo saying a rise of about 45 percent in infections detected at ports of entry had been recorded since September.

Most recently, China suspended five inbound international flights after significant numbers of COVID-19 sufferers were reported among the passengers.

About 3,600 total imported cases have been recorded among China’s total of 86,307 cases reported since coronarivus was first detected late last year in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Just eight new cases were reported by the National Health Commission on Friday, all of them imported. China has reported a total of 4,634 deaths from COVID-19.