Two Chinese cities south of Beijing further tightened virus restrictions and issued week-long stay at home orders to residents as authorities race to stamp out a resurgence in infections.

China has largely brought its domestic outbreak under control after the coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan in late 2019 but a spike in Hebei province, bordering Beijing, has sparked fresh lockdowns ahead of the Lunar New Year next month.

Hebei has reported over 130 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the past week, with more than 200 more asymptomatic infections, according to AFP.

Most of the cases were in Shijiazhuang city, which along with its surrounding areas is home to 11 million people. Several other infections were reported in neighbouring Xingtai city, home to 7 million.