The new coronavirus outbreak that has infected 256 people in Beijing since early June is “under control”, officials in the Chinese capital said, but fears still remain over the risk of community transmission, according to AFP.

“The Beijing epidemic directly linked to Xinfadi (market) is basically under control, but at the same time we have discovered household and workplace cluster infections and cases of community transmission,” said Beijing municipal government spokesman Xu Hejian at a briefing.

"The prevention and control situation remains complicated, we cannot lower our guard in the slightest".