China sees regional COVID-19 resurgences in early July

China saw a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in some areas in early July, a health official said on Friday.

Certain provincial-level regions in China, including Beijing, Tianjin and Shaanxi, have recently reported local COVID-19 cases of the BA.5 Omicron subvariant arriving from overseas, Lei Zhenglong from the National Health Commission said at a press conference.

Noting the seriousness of the pandemic containment situation in the country, Lei urged local governments, pandemic control authorities, organizations and individuals to take on their responsibilities fully to prevent inbound infections and improve response measures for local clusters.

Efforts related to the quarantine of inbound passengers and COVID-19 controls in port-of-entry cities have been strengthened, as has the closed-loop management of key personnel at border stations, Lei said.