-- Beijing reported six new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Friday.

-- The city has suspended a major wholesale food and vegetable market and strengthened control measures to contain the spread of the epidemic.

-- Disease control and prevention staff conducted nucleic acid tests on 1,940 people in the city's wholesale farm produce markets and supermarkets Friday. Forty-six of them tested positive for COVID-19, but they have shown no symptoms yet.

-- Authorities have launched closed-off management over 11 residential compounds in the vicinity of the Xinfadi market. The capital suspended the class resumption plan for primary schools' lower graders scheduled for June 15.

by Xinhua writers Qiang Lijing, Zhong Qun, Lyu Qiuping and Xia Ke

BEIJING, June 13 -- Beijing has tightened COVID-19 control measures as newly confirmed cases by local transmission have been reported in the past few days in the capital.

The city reported six new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases for Friday after one case had been reported Thursday, according to the municipal government.

Given the new cases, the city has suspended a major wholesale food and vegetable market and strengthened control measures to resolutely contain the spread of the epidemic.

NEW CASES

Two confirmed cases, both employees of the China Meat Food Research Center in Fengtai District, were reported earlier Friday, and another four were reported between 4 p.m. and midnight Friday, according to a press conference held Saturday morning.

A press conference is held by the Information Office of Beijing Municipality in Beijing, capital of China, June 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Xia Ke)

The latest four new cases either purchased goods or worked at the Xinfadi market.

All the new cases have been transferred to designated hospitals in the capital city for treatment, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at the press conference.

The newly reported cases came after Beijing lowered its emergency response to COVID-19 from the second level posture to the third level on June 6.

Professor Cheng Feng with the Research Center for Public Health at Tsinghua University said people should keep high alert against the occurrence of sporadic cases, but there is no need to panic.

MARKET SUSPENDED

As the new COVID-19 cases were all connected to Xinfadi, the largest wholesale market with fruit, vegetable and meat supplies for Beijing, the market was suspended Saturday.

To ensure the market supply, special areas have been designated for sales of vegetables and fruits, according to a statement jointly issued early Saturday by the market regulation bureau and the health commission of Fengtai District.

Covering an area of 112 hectares, the Xinfadi market has some 1,500 management personnel and more than 4,000 tenants.