Chinese officials say coronavirus outbreak in Beijing may have come from Europe

Commuters on a train during rush hour in Beijing on June 15, 2020
AFP via Getty Images
Matt Watts19 June 2020

Chinese officials have said the coronavirus that caused the recent outbreak in Beijing may have come from Europe.

They released genome data for the virus, after almost 200 cases in the past week that caused parts of the city to be locked down, saying they noted similarities to a European strain.

Japan today lifted all virus-related domestic travel curbs, with prime minister Shinzo Abe calling on people to go sightseeing to help the economy bounce back.

People in Singapore can go to restaurants, work out at the gym and socialise with no more than five people at a time from today, after the city-state removed most of its lockdown restrictions.

Covid-19 testing of thousands in New Zealand has not uncovered any new cases, officials say.

The tests were carried out after two women who travelled from the UK were allowed out of isolation without being tested — and later turned out to have coronavirus.

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