China has recorded the biggest daily jump in Covid-19 cases in more than five months, despite four cities in lockdown, increased testing and other measures aimed at preventing another wave of infections in the world’s second biggest economy, Reuters reported.

Most of the new patients were reported near the capital Beijing, but a province in northeast China also saw a rise in new cases, official data showed.

Hebei has put three cities — Shijiazhuang, Xingtai and Langfang — into lockdown as part of the efforts to keep the virus from spreading further, while Beijing city authorities have stepped up screening and prevention measures to prevent another cluster from developing there.