THE latest resurgence of COVID-19 in China can be effectively contained in a short time if response measures are strictly enforced, a health official said Thursday.

“The COVID-19 epidemic in China is controllable now,” said He Qinghua, a senior official with the National Health Commission, at a press conference in Beijing.

He acknowledged that the current wave of cases is more complicated and has put some strain on response efforts since it has multiple imported sources and has affected a wide range of places and people.

He noted that the governments of all affected places have adopted rigorous anti-epidemic measures, following a national epidemic control scheme and taking into account local situations.

China’s current COVID-19 containment measures are effective against the Delta variant, He said.

The vaccine doses administered across the country also demonstrate good preventive and protective effects against the COVID-19 Delta variant, said He.

The Chinese mainland on Wednesday reported 62 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the commission said in its daily report Thursday.

Of the locally transmitted cases, 40 were reported in Jiangsu, nine in Hunan, three each in Beijing, Shandong, Henan and Yunnan, and one in Hubei, according to the commission.

An educational official said at the press briefing that schools in China’s areas classified as having medium or high risks of COVID-19 outbreaks may delay the start of the upcoming autumn semester.

Liu Peijun, an official with the Ministry of Education, said that should there exist the medium or high-risk areas right before the start of the new semester, schools in the areas will adopt postponement accordingly.

COVID-19 prevention and control is the top priority for the new semester’s work, the official said.

Local education authorities and schools have been asked to carefully make thorough preparations for various scenarios to ensure a smooth and safe start of the new semester, Liu said.

Mi Feng, spokesperson for the commission, said China’s State Council joint COVID-19 prevention and control mechanism team has sent 20 working groups to key port cities to aid anti-virus efforts.

The working groups will supervise and guide the port cities in plugging loopholes in their measures to prevent imported infections and respond to possible outbreaks, said Mi.

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism at the press conference Thursday, China is stepping up efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in tourism and culture sectors .

The ministry has urged all travel agencies and online platforms to avoid high and medium-risk areas in their offer of travel services, pay close attention to the COVID-19 situations of tourist destinations, and adjust or cancel ongoing tours accordingly, said Yu Changguo, an official with the ministry.

To prevent cluster infections, the ministry has also called on tourist attractions to comply with epidemic-prevention requirements, said Yu. He added that as of Wednesday, 1,152 tourist attractions with A ratings, the country’s highest rating level for scenic spots, had been temporarily closed to visitors as requested.

Tourist spots and cultural venues were also asked to fully implement epidemic-prevention measures, including limiting tourist numbers, adopting staggered visiting hours, taking visitors’ temperatures before allowing them in, and sterilizing public facilities regularly, Yu added.

(Xinhua)