Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, reported 21 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and 12 asymptomatic cases within 12 hours before noon on Tuesday, taking the city's total confirmed cases since January to 309.

Three of the new cases were detected during the city's second mass testing and were all in Gaocheng District - the only high-risk area of COVID-19 pandemic in China, Meng Xianghong, deputy mayor of Shijiazhuang told today's press briefing.