Latest virus outbreak in final stage, health authority says

China recorded four confirmed local infections on Saturday－three in Dalian and one in a border county in Yunnan province－and 13 imported infections.

In addition to prompt, science-based and coordinated measures, Wu said widespread vaccination in China has also helped rein in the virus relatively quickly.

As of Friday, China had delivered more than 2.42 billion COVID-19 doses and fully vaccinated nearly 1.08 billion people, or 76.3 percent of its population. More than 65.7 million booster shots have also been administered, the commission said.

"We will draw lessons from the recent epidemic and focus on improving the ability to roll out targeted, early and precise measures," Wu said.

Liu Hongbin, an official from the State Administration for Market Regulation, said the administration has set up a national platform to improve the tracing of cold-chain products. The platform is also linked to provincial-level tracing systems across the country, he added.

Wu told China Central Television on Thursday that laxness and loopholes in fending off imported cases, as well as the virus' spread in foreign countries, had resulted in the recent outbreak.

He said there is no reason to relax strict virus control measures at present.

"The nation's command system is maintaining an emergency status, so as to control a new cluster as fast as possible," he said. "This is, so far, the most efficient, cost-effective and rapid method to cope with the virus."

Wu added that movement restrictions will become more targeted, and care and social services for neighborhoods placed into isolation will be stepped up.