China has reported 16 new coronavirus cases, including the first confirmed case in Beijing after 56 days, official media here said.

A local case of COVID-19 in Beijing’s Xicheng district was confirmed on Thursday. The capital had no new coronavirus case for 56 consecutive days, state-run China Daily reported, citing the local municipal government.

The Chinese government has kept a tight lid on the cases by implementing strict quarantine procedures for locals arriving from different cities as well as for people arriving from abroad.

On June 5, Beijing had lowered the COVID-19 emergency response, marking the return of normalcy in the capital.

The Beijing municipal government, while relaxing the norms, had said there was no need to wear masks, though people continue to wear them for safety reasons.

China’s National Health Commission (NHC) on Thursday said 11 new COVID-19 cases were reported in China on Wednesday and all of them were imported. Of the new cases, six were reported in Shanghai, three in Guangdong, one each in Tianjin and Fujian.

No new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland, according to a daily report issued by the NHC.

Also on Wednesday, four new asymptomatic cases were reported, the NHC said. A total of 129 asymptomatic patients, including 42 from Wuhan — the epicentre of the virus — are under quarantine, it said.

Asymptomatic patients, also known as silent spreaders, pose a problem as they are tested COVID-19 positive but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. However, they pose a risk of spreading the disease to others.

No death related to the disease was reported on Wednesday, the NHC said.

As of Wednesday, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland reached 83,057, including 62 patients who were still being treated, with no one in severe condition.

While 78,361 coronavirus patients have recovered, the disease claimed 4,634 lives, the NHC said.