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Authorities in China have placed a city on lockdown as the country battles to prevent a second wave of the potentially deadly coronavirus.

The city of Harbin in northern China has become the latest hotspot after a woman unknowingly infected 70 others after testing negative for Covid-19.

A 22-year-old student surnamed Han had returned to China from New York last month.

She had gone through a 14-day quarantine and showed no symptoms of the bug.

Harbin health authorities say she was a "silent carrier" of the virus.

Unaware, she went on to infect her neighbours who then hosted a gathering.

(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

A guest at the gathering was later taken hospital with a stroke which then led to the infection breaking out at two local hospitals, reports Shanghaiist.

Coronavirus has now gone on to infect 70 people including patients in Inner Mongolia and Liaoning province.

Harbin has reported 52 active confirmed cases and 23 asymptomatic infections.

The city has implemented a strict lockdown, with gates to all communities and villages remaining guarded.

Citizens have been asked to wear face masks when stepping out of villages, as well as have their temperatures checked.

Public events have been cancelled and gatherings have been banned.

On April 8, dozens of residents drove up to the border of Wuhan as the Chinese authorities ended the city's 76-day coronavirus lockdown.

However, this week a fresh cluster of coronavirus cases have been reported among medical staff at a medical facility in China.

The fresh wave of cases broke out at Jia County People's Hospital, where one of them had just spent 14 days in quarantine after returning from Wuhan in neighbouring Hubei province.

As a result, country authorities have imposed travel restrictions, with non-essential travel banned between villages and communities.

Anyone coming in and out of residential compounds is required to wear a facemask, have their temperature taken and produce a certificate to prove they are healthy, according to an official document leaked to Radio Free Asia.