Around 500 people were found infected with COVID-19 over five days at a tourist resort in China's Guangxi region, according to local media reports.

Global Times reported that over 2,000 tourists were stranded in Beihai city due to a coronavirus flare-up that hit the popular holiday resort.

Since the first asymptomatic infection was reported in Beihai on July 12, a total of nine local confirmed patients and 444 asymptomatic infections had been registered as of Saturday, according to the Global Times report.

The local health commission of Guangxi, said a number of other cities have also been affected by the fresh outbreak.

The COVID-19 cases have been triggered by new emerging Omicron sub-variants that have spread among 12 regions since July, Global Times reported.

The virulent strain has strong transmissibility and its symptoms cannot be detected early.

China’s authorities have been responding with stringent lockdowns enforced by the strong arm of the law as part of its zero-Covid policy.

Due to the latest outbreak in Beijing, millions of people are facing mandatory testing and thousands have been put under lockdowns, just days after the city started to lift widespread curbs that were clamped to tackle a Covid outbreak since April-end.