BEIJING • From today, travellers arriving in Beijing will be required to provide negative coronavirus test results when they check-in to hotels, under a new measure announced on Friday.

Mr Zhou Weimin, a senior official at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, said the authorities will strengthen control and management of people who come to Beijing and stay in hotels to avoid any loopholes.

Hotels will require guests to provide a national health clearance and a Beijing's health condition app, with both showing "normal".

Guests should also provide information about their contacts in Beijing and accept the health management requirement of the hotels.

Mr Zhou was speaking during a daily news conference on Friday about Beijing's efforts to control the Covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Xu Xinchao, deputy head of the Chinese capital's Science and Technology Commission, also shared information about technology such as artificial intelligence, new materials and medical industries that have contributed to the fight against the pandemic.

The Chinese authorities fear the possibility of a second wave triggered by arrivals from overseas or asymptomatic patients. China's National Health Commission said 46 new cases were reported on Friday, including 42 from abroad.

Of the new imported cases, 22 were in the north-eastern province of Heilongjiang, where Chinese nationals crossing the border from Russia figured in a recent spike in cases.

Inner Mongolia region had a daily tally of 27 new imported cases by yesterday morning, also all from Russia, its health authority said. Manzhouli city, along the border with Russia, said it was preparing a new hospital to treat Covid-19 patients, which would be completed on Tuesday.

CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, REUTERS