Beijing reports 31 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases

(ECNS) -- Beijing reported 31 new locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and three asymptomatic carriers from 0:00 to 24:00 Tuesday, local authorities said Wednesday.

Gene sequencing of 38 infected samples conducted by the Beijing municipal disease prevention and control center found that the virus is an Omicron variant, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy head of the center on Tuesday at a press conference.

"The newly infected cases had an epidemiological association with the early infected ones. Results of epidemiology, gene sequencing, and antibody detection showed there are currently two transmission chains in Beijing," Pang said.

A total of 113 cases had been reported in Beijing by Tuesday.