Beijing's new COVID-19 caseload surpasses 4,000

Beijing recorded 4,307 new local COVID-19 cases on Saturday, with 3,560 of them asymptomatic carriers, a record high of new infections since the pandemic began in 2020, according to the Beijing Municipal Health Commission.

Among the new infections, 806 were detected at the community level, the commission said.

As the temperature has greatly dropped in recent days, the commission suggests residents in the capital avoid going to public places that are crowded and with poor ventilation.

In the neighboring Hebei province, which is also facing a COVID-19 outbreak, top officials demanded an improvement of nucleic acid testing to ensure timely results and prevent cross-infections during testing, according to a video meeting held on Saturday night.

Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital, reported 69 new local confirmed cases and 1,315 asymptomatic carriers on Saturday, a slight drop from the previous day, according to the Health Commission of Hebei.

Xiong'an New Area and 11 other cities in the province have also been hit by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.