The fight to contain the coronavirus in northern China’s Hebei has entered “wartime mode”, official media reported, after the province surrounding capital Beijing saw its first locally transmitted Covid-19 cases in more than six months.

Hebei reported 19 local infections and 40 asymptomatic cases between Jan 2 and Jan 4, according to data from the Chinese health authorities. The last time the province recorded locally transmitted infections was in June 2020.

The provincial government-run Hebei Daily said the province had entered “wartime mode”, meaning investigation teams would be set up at provincial, city, and district levels to trace the close contacts of those who have tested positive.

In turn, the close contacts of those people would also be located, the newspaper said, adding that isolation measures would be put in place and testing carried out.