Beijing Reports 21 New Coronavirus Cases

Beijing confirmed 21 new Covid-19 cases as of June 17, China's health authority said on Thursday, down from 31 a day earlier.

Beijing logged its first case in the current outbreak, the worst in the city since early February, on June 11. The total number of infections has risen to 158 over the past week.

Almost 80 cases were last week discovered in the sprawling Xinfadi wholesale market in Beijing's south, which was closed early on Saturday before health officials fanned out across the city to trace people who have links to the market or have recently been there.

Over 10,000 people are expected to be tested following the outbreak that has paralysed pockets of the capital after almost two months of reporting no new locally-transmitted cases. (Reuters)