China reports 22 new COVID-19 cases

BEIJING: The Chinese National Health Commission on Sunday reported 22 new COVID-19 cases, the country’s highest daily figure since May.

The National Health Commission (NHC) said 19 of the new cases were domestic infections in the capital. The other three domestic infections reported were in northeastern Liaoning province, and local health officials said they were close contacts of the Beijing cases.

The fresh cluster in Beijing has raised fears of a resurgence of the COVID-19 in China, which had largely brought the disease under control over the past two months.

According to reports, dozens of communities have been sealed off in the city to contain the spread of COVID-19, with residents instructed to avoid non-essential travel and schools closed.

The NHC officials said that the new infections reported today include a nurse — the first health worker to test positive since the re-emergence of the illness just over a week ago.

State news agency Xinhua said local officials had established more than 2,000 sites across the city that had obtained 2.3 million samples. The latest outbreak first emerged at a wholesale food market, prompting fears over the safety of the city´s food supply.

The COVID-19 infection was detected on chopping boards used to handle imported salmon. Beijing officials instructed citizens to dispose of frozen seafood and bean products bought from the site.

The Xinfadi market supplies more than 70 percent of Beijing´s fresh produce and has been closed. Earlier,  officials said they had launched a nationwide campaign to inspect food imports.

Employees of restaurants, supermarkets, markets and food delivery couriers are being tested for the COVID-19, Xinhua said.

The chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that the new outbreak had been “brought under control” but Beijing would still see new cases.

The outbreak has also spread to Tongzhou, the administrative hub in Beijing where key government offices are located, health officials said. One case was reported in the area on Sunday.

Health officials also confirmed a new imported case. Infections brought in by Chinese nationals returning home had accounted for the majority of recent cases until the Beijing cluster.

Beijing officials ordered a city-wide food safety inspection focusing on fresh and frozen meat, poultry and fish in supermarkets, warehouses and catering services.

The majority of cases in recent months have been overseas nationals tested as they return home, and the rest of the cases reported Sunday were imported cases from abroad.