The number of new confirmed Covid-19 cases have shot up to 79 in Beijing with health authorities adding 36 more to Sunday’s tally, the country’s health authorities announced early on Monday.

The National Health Commission (NHC) said on Monday that it received reports of 49 new confirmed Covid-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Sunday, of which 39 were domestically transmitted and 10 were imported.

Of the domestically transmitted cases, 36 were reported in Beijing and three in Beijing’s bordering province, Hebei.

Since June 11, Beijing has recorded 79 new cases of Covid-19 after not reporting any for 55 days, triggering fears of a second wave of infections and pointing to the difficulties in curbing the pandemic raging globally.

Three schools and six kindergartens nearby have been suspended.

According to a statement by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the fresh cluster outbreak in Beijing, the “first identified case had symptom onset on June 9, and was confirmed on June 11.”

CGTN