China’s capital city records spike in COVID-19 cases as toll rises to 79

Beijing, capital city of China, has recorded 36 new COVID-19 cases bringing the total number to 79.

According to Global Times, the sudden spike was recorded after a short period of calm.

The 36 new cases recorded on Sunday have been traced to a large market known as Xinfadi in the capital’s Fengtai district. A lockdown has been placed on the market and restrictions have been imposed on 11 nearby neighbourhoods.

There are concerns that it could be a second wave of the disease.

Health authorities in Beijing have already began taking measures such as expanding nucliec acid testing and strengthening management of residential communities.

They have also begun tracing and testing anyone who have had contact with the market since May 30, the newspaper said.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Zhang Jie, deputy district head of Fengtai, while declaring a “state of wartime management”, said they intend to test all 46,000 residents living in communities in the vicinity of Xinfadi.

The Global Times quoted some experts as saying the strain of the virus detected at Xinfadi might originate from imported cases.

They called for more detailed epidemiological investigations to find the source of the new strain.

So far, China has recorded 83,181 cases of COVID-19.

While 78,370 people have recovered from the disease, 4,634 have died, according to Worldometer.