Staff members hold inactivated samples for nucleic acid test at the laboratory of KingMed Diagnostics, a Chinese medical diagnostic testing company in Beijing, capital of China, June 25, 2020. (JU HUANZONG/XINHUA)

BEIJING - The Chinese capital has issued fresh guidelines on COVID-19 containment, calling on its residents to continue to wear masks, maintain social distancing and wash hands frequently.

Masks have been made compulsory in hospitals, crowded scenic spots and public transports, according to Beijing's disease control and prevention center.

Masks have been made compulsory in hospitals, crowded scenic spots and public transports, according to Beijing's disease control and prevention center

The guidelines stipulate that residents with respiratory infections should avoid going to public places and if they do under unavoidable circumstances, they must wear masks.

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People are advised to wash their hands frequently after processing raw meat, poultry, or aquatic products, and keep unwashed hands away from the mouth, nose, and eyes, according to the guidelines.

Besides, members of the public are asked to cooperate with health monitoring at residential compounds, workplaces and other public facilities.

Since June 11, the Chinese capital has seen a resurgence in locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases, prompting the municipal government to tighten containment measures. 

Beijing reported 17 new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and four asymptomatic cases Friday, the municipal health commission said Saturday.

Apart from the 17 cases in Beijing, the Chinese mainland saw four imported confirmed cases on Friday, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Saturday.

No deaths related to the disease were reported Friday, according to the commission.

As of Friday, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 83,483, including 405 patients who were still being treated, with eight in severe conditions.

As of Friday, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 83,483, including 405 patients who were still being treated, with eight in severe conditions

Altogether 78,444 people had been discharged from hospitals after recovery and 4,634 people had died of the disease, the commission said.

By Friday, the Chinese mainland had reported a total of 1,899 imported cases. Of the cases, 1,814 had been discharged after recovery, and 85 remained hospitalized, including one in severe condition. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported.

The commission said one new suspected imported case was reported Friday, bringing the total suspected cases to eight in the country.

According to the commission, 7,876 close contacts were still under medical observation after 791 people were discharged from medical observation Friday.

Twelve new asymptomatic cases, including eight imported, were reported on the mainland Friday, it said, adding that one asymptomatic case was re-categorized as a confirmed case.

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The commission said 106 asymptomatic cases, including 64 imported, were still under medical observation.

By Friday, 1,196 confirmed cases including seven deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 46 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 447 in Taiwan including seven deaths.

A total of 1,091 patients in the Hong Kong SAR, 45 in the Macao SAR, and 435 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery.