Beijing is still facing a grim and complex epidemic prevention and control situation as new cases of COVID-19 in the city are developing, officials said on Thursday.

"New cases have continued to be detected at the community level and the risk of hidden spread still exists," Liu Xiaofeng, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, said at a Thursday news conference. "The omicron variant BF.7 has become the main strain in Beijing."

"The virus has been involved in express logistics, construction sites, parking lots, schools, restaurants, hotels and other densely populated industries and places, causing a number of cluster outbreaks," he added.

Between midnight and 3 pm on Thursday, Beijing reported 59 locally transmitted COVID-19 infections, including 27 asymptomatic carriers.

Fifty-eight of the infections were found among those under quarantine and one was detected at the community level.

Thirty-six were reported in Chaoyang district, eight in Tongzhou district, five in Changping district, three in Dongcheng district, two in Fengtai district and one each in the districts of Xicheng, Shijingshan, Shunyi, Daxing and the Economic and Technology Development Zone.

Staff members should strengthen risk screening in densely populated places as well as epidemic prevention and control, including health code scanning, body temperature measurement, nucleic acid test checking and public disinfection, according to Liu.

He also urged residents to keep good health habits and avoid unnecessary gatherings to reduce the risk of transmission.