China reports 22 new infections as coronavirus cases in Beijing climb

China reported 22 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, including 13 infections in Beijing, where an outbreak at the city's largest agricultural market has triggered a new lockdown in much of the capital.

Nine imported cases were also reported in Gansu, Jiangsu and Shaanxi provinces, according to national health authorities.

New cases in Beijing dipped into the single digits on Monday for the first time since mass testing in the city began, before climbing again on Tuesday.

Top National Health Commission expert Wu Hao told state broadcaster CCTV on Monday that the situation had reached a "calm" this week and that new cases would either remain in the single digits or precipitously drop.

A total of 249 new Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in Beijing since a local cluster was traced back to the sprawling Xinfadi wholesale market in the city's south-western Fengtai district earlier this month.

Since then the capital has taken drastic steps to contain the outbreak, conducting mass testing, closing schools, putting neighbourhoods on lockdown, and banning all unnecessary travel.