Overall supply of produce remains stable in Beijing: Official

BEIJING -- The overall supply of farm produce in Beijing remains stable and well-ordered, according to a press conference on Sunday.

After the suspension of the Xinfadi market, where the capital's newly confirmed COVID-19 cases were related, six other large wholesale markets across the city moved fast to increase vegetable supply, said Wang Hongcun, an official with Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau.

Supermarket chains also acted in quick response, Wang said, citing Carrefour that had increased direct purchase from vegetable bases in the neighboring Hebei province.

Though the control measures in the Xinfadi market have temporarily affected the distribution channels, commerce authorities are stepping up efforts to coordinate market resources, and market supply in Beijing can be guaranteed, he said.

The Chinese capital reported 36 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, and another eight in the first seven hours of June 14. Most of the new cases are related to the Xinfadi market in south Beijing.