Tianjin reported 16 new locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and 39 asymptomatic carriers on Tuesday, following the city's report on Monday of seven new locally transmitted confirmed cases and 23 asymptomatic carriers.

Citywide testing for Tianjin's 13 million residents began on Sunday with four people testing positive in Dongli and Beichen districts on Sunday evening.

Another two rounds of tests were conducted in the two districts on Monday and Tuesday. The latest confirmed cases were all found in that round, according to the Tianjin Health Commission.

Preliminary evidence indicated the cases might be related to imported cold chain food. Gene sequencing found the infections to be a type of the Omicron variant different from other cases and "not related to the outbreak of Beijing's Omicron variant this month", according to Gu Qing, director of the commission.