China is taking steps to prevent new local coronavirus outbreaks from spreading further across the country.

The country reported 68 new infections in 24 hours on Tuesday, the highest number since April.

Most of the infections, 57, were detected in the Xinjiang region of northwest China. After an outbreak, millions of people were tested there, and there were already restrictive measures in the regional capital Urumqi.

Six other infections were in the industrial city of Dalian in Liaoning province, where an outbreak last week occurred at a fish market.

According to health authorities, the outbreak has already spread to nine cities in five other regions, including the 1,500 km distant town of Fuzhou in Fujian Province.

The authorities there say they go into a “war state” after a virus from a Dalian traveller was diagnosed. The virus was also found in someone from Dalian in Beijing.

China has primarily controlled the virus, which first emerged in Wuhan city in December, through a series of restrictions and aimed to prevent a second wave.