Beijing locks down 11 areas close to COVID-19 cluster

China has closed the Xinfadi market and is requiring anyone who went there to self-isolate for two weeks. Residential compounds close to the market have been put under lockdown. Citywide, Beijing has suspended the planned restart on Monday of some primary schools and reversed the relaxation of some social isolation measures.

Beijing: After coronavirus cases emerged in Beijing's Xinfadi food market, the city has placed 11 residential compounds neighbouring the market under lockdown.

On Friday, the city had closed the food market and ordered the testing of all its workers.

Health officials said gene sequencing showed the virus strain causing the new outbreak was related to that in Europe, though it wasn’t clear if it was being spread by the movement of people or transportation of food.

China reported 49 new coronavirus cases on Monday as the capital Beijing reinstated measures to contain a resurgence.

Of the new cases, 36 were reported in Beijing, traced to a wholesale market that supplies much of the city’s meat and vegetables.

Ten of the other cases were brought from outside the country and three were found in Hebei province just outside Beijing.

China has reported a total of 4,634 deaths from the virus among 83,181 confirmed cases.