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The sudden return of Covid-19 has rattled Beijing citizens as the number of new infections in China's capital city since Thursday, June 11 has leapt to 106.

More than 100 infected in new cluster outbreak in Beijing

Chinese health authorities said on Tuesday that they had received reports of 40 confirmed new Covid-19 cases in China on Monday, of which 32 were local transmissions, reported Chinese state media CGTN.

Out of the 32 local infections, 27 were reported in Beijing, bringing the number of infections reported in Beijing to 106, between June 11 and 16.

"I was like, 'Oh my God, again,'" said Shawn Wang, a civil servant who lives roughly two miles from the wholesale market in Beijing’s southwestern district of Fengtai where the new cluster was found, reported Wall Street Journal.

Xinfadi market in Beijing was identified by Chinese health officials as the the likely source of the new outbreak in the city, as the newly diagnosed cases were all linked to the market.

The market supplies 80 per cent of the city's fruits and vegetables, also ships food to other markets and restaurants all over the capital.

Mass testing in Beijing, neighbourhoods locked down, schools suspended

Health officials in Beijing have responded with mass testing, with more than 76,000 people tested by June 14, three days after the new cluster emerged.

Hordes of low-level officials, workers and volunteers were mobilised, and close to 100,000 people were organised by neighborhood committees to visit the city’s more than 7,000 residential compounds and urge anyone who had recently visited the market to get tested, reported WSJ.

On June 15, authorities locked down 10 residential neighborhoods near a market in the northern district of Haidian after an asymptomatic case was found there.

Plans to allow some primary school students to return to school on June 15 were suspended, which parents described as "a big blow", after months of home schooling.

Where did the new outbreak in Beijing start?

The cases emerged after Xicheng District reported one new Covid-19 case -- a 52-year-old Beijing local, surnamed Tang, on June 11.

On Friday, June 12, Beijing health authorities released the results of Tang's epidemiological investigation.

It showed that he had visited several places, including a shopping mall, vegetable market and entertainment venues in Fengtai District.

Beijing immediately shut down the beef and lamb trade center of wholesaler Xinfadi Market and Jingshen sea food market in Fengtai District where Tang had visited.

In total, six major wholesale markets in Beijing were suspended, or partially suspended, on Friday.

The virus was also detected on a chopping board for imported salmon at Xinfadi market.

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Top image via Wikimedia Commons