Beijing records 17 new COVID-19 cases

Beijing reported 17 new confirmed COVID-19 cases for Friday, bringing the total to 297 since June 11, officials from the Beijing municipal government said at a news conference on Saturday.

All the 297 patients are undergoing treatment in designated hospitals and a total of 25 asymptomatic infections have been placed under medical observation, Xu Hejian, spokesman for the municipal government, said.

"Eleven of the new cases were male, and the rest were female. The average age of the patients was 40," Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of Beijing's center for disease control and prevention, said at the news conference. "Of these, 14 worked in the recent coronavirus hotspot Xinfadi agricultural wholesale Market (in Fengtai district)."

Another two cases were also related to the market and one remaining case is still under investigation, according to Pang.

Fifteen cases were found in Fengtai district and two in Daxing district.

Pang also shared basic information from a confirmed case reported on Thursday.

The 62-year-old male patient tested negative for the novel coronavirus on June 14 and 17.

He tested positive on June 25 and then was diagnosed with novel coronavirus on the same day.

"With the arrival of summer, there will be more mosquitoes and flies," said Wang Liping, researcher from Beijing's center for disease control and prevention. "However, there is no evidence so far that the coronavirus can be transmitted by mosquitoes and flies."

She also added that people who had transient contact with express delivery have a very low risk of infection of the COVID-19.

The city also reported four asymptomatic infections on Friday. No suspected cases were reported.