BEIJING — China's health authority on July 11 stressed the importance of continuous monitoring and management of sanitation in key locations, such as farm produce markets, amid the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic.

"The early warning and monitoring of the health conditions of the employees of such places should also be strengthened," said Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC), at a press conference in Beijing.

Mi's warning followed a recent cluster of COVID-19 infections in Beijing, mostly related to the city's Xinfadi wholesale farm produce market.

During the past month, seven provincial-level regions have reported 363 locally transmitted cases, accounting for 68 percent of the new confirmed cases nationwide, according to Mi.

As of July 10, the Chinese mainland had reported no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases for five consecutive days, said Mi.