Beijing reports one new confirmed COVID-19 case

Beijing reported one new confirmed COVID-19 case on Friday evening at a news conference.

The latest case is a close contact of an imported case confirmed on Monday, according to Pang Xinghuo, deputy head of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new case, a 48-year-old woman, lives in a hotel in the Chaoyang district where the imported case had been staying.

She was taken for centralized medical observation on Tuesday, a day after the imported case was confirmed. Her nucleic acid testing result was shown to be negative on Tuesday but a second test on Thursday was positive. She was then taken to Ditan Hospital for further medical treatment.

At present, 43 close contacts of the female case were found. Her workplace and living space were disinfected.

Zhu Sheng, deputy head of the Chaoyang district, asked citizens who have been to a Chinese fast food restaurant near the hotel around noon on Dec 12 to contact the district disease control and prevention center for health guidance.

The Chaoyang district will also provide free testing to willing residents living close to the hotel.