BEIJING (Reuters), – China’s recently transmitted COVID-19 has risen to a nearly three-month-high. In the lead-up to a critical gathering of high-ranking Communist Party officials next week, Beijing will be implementing tighter restrictions to stem the spread.

On Wednesday, the National Health Commission reported that 93 local cases of symptomatic disease were confirmed for Nov. 2. This is an increase from the 54 daily counts a day prior. It also marks the highest daily number since the height of China’s most recent major epidemic on Aug. 9.

Beijing recorded eight new local infected, their highest number since Jan. 19.

Although the number of cases being reported by China’s capital has been very low, it is still a significant increase in the overall incidence of this virus.

At the entrances to shopping centers, supermarkets, movies, and subway stations has been temperature screening. A legion of ground personnel also checks the mobile phone health codes for visiting people.

Beijing authorities also repeated their request to residents that they refrain from traveling out of Beijing and postpone or simplify wedding arrangements. They also advised them not to attend any other gatherings.

60.4% of scheduled Wednesday flights from Beijing Daxing Airport had already been cancelled by morning. 49.8% were scrapped at Beijing Capital Airport.

As the more than 300 members of the Communist Party Central Committee get ready to meet in an important closed-door meeting, the rise in Beijing infection is apparent. This will mark the sixth and final so-called plenum of the five-year-old term.

The plenum will see President Xi Jinping push for a resolution to cement his power and his legacy, and help him get a record-breaking third term in the next year.

Other than Beijing, there were new infections reported elsewhere in China, including in the northwest and northeast regions of provinces, Heilongjiang. These included Heilongjiang.

There were several new cases in southwest China. These included the municipal of Chongqing, as well as the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.

Two new cases were reported by Jiangxi, the southern province.

China had 109 confirmed cases for Nov. 2, including those imported from abroad, compared to the 71 reported one day earlier.

November 2, 2018, mainland China was home to 97.423 confirmed cases.