Beijing reports 9 new Covid-19 cases for June 21, a drop from 22

BEIJING (REUTERS, AFP) - Beijing's municipal health authority reported on Monday (June 22) nine new cases of the coronavirus in the city for June 21, down from 22 a day earlier.

The city of more than 20 million people reported its first case in the latest wave on June 11. The resurgence has been linked to the Xinfadi wholesale food centre in the southwest of Beijing. So far, 236 people in the city have been infected in the outbreak.

Beijing's nine new cases make up half of the 18 new cases the National Health Commission (NHC) said were detected on the same day in mainland China. This compared with 26 new confirmed cases in mainland China a day earlier.

Local authorities are restricting movement of people in the capital and stepping up other measures to prevent the virus from spreading following a series of local infections.

Another seven asymptomatic Covid-19 patients, those who are infected but show no symptoms, were reported as of June 21 compared with six a day earlier, said the NHC on Monday. China does not count these patients as confirmed cases.

China has stepped up its oversight of imported foods, as it traced the new Beijing clusters to chopping boards used to handle imported salmon at the city's Xinfadi market.

Beijing began testing meat, seafood and fresh produce for the coronavirus last week and some ports were opening all containers of meat to carry out coronavirus tests.

China's customs authority said on Sunday it had suspended imports of poultry products from a plant owned by US-based meat processor Tyson Inc that has been hit by the novel coronavirus.

The General Administration of Customs said on its website it had decided on the suspension after the company confirmed a cluster of coronavirus cases at the plant, which is located in Springdale, Arkansas.

Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said the company was looking into the issue, adding Tyson works closely with US authorities to ensure its food is produced in full compliance with government safety requirements.

"It is important to note that the World Health Organisation, the Centres for Disease Control & Prevention, USDA and the US Food & Drug Administration agree that there is no evidence to support transmission of Covid-19 associated with food," he told Reuters in an e-mail.

China also suspended pork products from German pork processor Toennies last week following a coronavirus outbreak among hundreds of its workers.

On Friday, customs asked food exporters to sign a declaration that their produce is not contaminated by the virus.

Imports of US poultry have surged since China ended an almost five-year ban on the trade in November 2019.