China says nearly 400 people have now tested positive in a fast growing Covid cluster near Beijing.
Nearly half of these are asymptomatic cases, authorities said.
The outbreak is centered on the city of Shijuazhuang in Hebei province, which borders the nation’s capital and travel between Hebei and Beijing has been restricted to essential reasons only.
Shijiazhuang is in lockdown with highways in and out of the city being screened and non-essential travellers are being turned away.
It has conducted mass testing of millions of residents, and public transport within the city has been suspended.
It is one of the largest localised clusters in China since the early days of the pandemic, and the largest single day increase in cases for five months, the he National Health Commission said.
Written by Ray Montgomery, Asia Editor
