July 18, 2020 | 8:33am | Updated July 18, 2020 | 8:33am

China is facing yet another COVID-19 outbreak, this time in the expansive northwestern region of Xinjiang.

The country’s National Health Commission reported 17 new cases in the provisional capital of Urumqi on Saturday. Local authorities have moved swiftly to try and contain the virus, reducing public transportation and sealing off some residential neighborhoods. Travel outside the city has also been restricted

Though China has largely contained the virus which began there last year and devastated the city of Wuhan, the Xinjiang flare up indicates the difficulty of reining it in for good. In June, Beijing faced its own outbreak which resulted in at least 330 infections.

The Xinjiang region is home to a large population of Chinese Muslims, known as Uighurs and Chinese authorities have long been accused of human rights violations in the area. President Trump imposed sanctions on the country last month over the issue

With Post wires