Chinese health authorities have begun reporting on asymptomatic cases of coronavirus as part of an effort to allay public fears that people could be spreading the virus without knowing they are infected.

China, where COVID-19 emerged late last year, has managed to bring its outbreak under control and is easing travel restrictions in virus hot spots.

But there are concerns that the end of lockdowns will see thousands of infected people move back into daily life.

Up until now, the number of known asymptomatic cases has not been included in the country’s official data, although the South China Morning Post newspaper recently said it was more than 40,000, citing unpublished official documents.