SHANGHAI, Dec 25 (Reuters) - China reported 140 new confirmed coronavirus cases for Dec. 24, up from 87 a day earlier, its health authority said on Saturday.

Of the new infections, 87 were locally transmitted, according to a statement by the National Health Commission, compared with 55 a day earlier. Most of the new local cases were in the northwestern province of Shaanxi.

China reported 24 new asymptomatic cases, which it classifies separately from confirmed cases, down from 26 a day earlier.

There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll at 4,636. Mainland China had 100,871 confirmed cases as of Dec. 24. (Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Edmund Klamann)