Beijing: China has reported 16 new coronavirus cases. Among them is the first confirmed coronavirus case in Beijing after 56 days, official media said Thursday.
Infection hits Beijing
A local case of COVID-19 in Beijing’s Xicheng district was confirmed Thursday. The capital had no new coronavirus case for 56 consecutive days, according to state-run ‘China Daily’ reported.
The Chinese government has kept a tight lid on the cases. It has done so by implementing strict quarantine procedures for locals arriving from different cities. Those who are arriving from abroad are also being forced to follow quarantine protocols.
Beijing had lowered June 5 the COVID-19 emergency response, marking the return of normalcy in the capital.
The Beijing municipal government, while relaxing the norms, had said there was no need to wear masks. However, it asked people continue to wear them for safety reasons.
Details of new cases
China’s National Health Commission (NHC) said Thursday that 11 new COVID-19 cases were reported Wednesday. All of them were imported. Of the new cases, six were reported in Shanghai, three in Guangdong, one each in Tianjin and Fujian. No new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland.
Also Wednesday, four new asymptomatic cases were reported, the NHC said. A total of 129 asymptomatic patients, including 42 from Wuhan are under quarantine, it said.
‘Silent spreaders’
Asymptomatic patients are also known as ‘silent spreaders’. They pose the maximum problems. They test COVID-19 positive but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. However, they pose a risk of spreading the disease to others. No death related to the disease was reported on Wednesday, the NHC said.
Overall figures
As of Wednesday, the overall confirmed cases in China reached 83,057, including 62 patients who were still being treated. One of the patients is critical. While 78,361 coronavirus patients have recovered, the disease claimed 4,634 lives, the NHC said.
