China on Thursday reported a decline in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases for the first time this week, and a health official said he expected the country's latest outbreak, caused mainly by the Delta variant, to be largely under control within weeks.
A total of 85 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were detected for Wednesday, down from 96 a day earlier, data from the National Health Commission showed on Thursday. Of the new cases, 62 were locally transmitted, versus 71 a day earlier.
Some local governments have been called out for lowering their guard, leading to the spread of the Delta variant from multiple sources. Still, NHC official He Qinghua said the virus situation was largely controllable.
"As long as local authorities strictly implement various (virus control) measures, the outbreak can be largely controlled within two to three incubation periods," He said on Thursday.
The latest NHC guidelines published in April stated that an incubation period for COVID-19 can be as long as 14 days, but is usually three to seven days.
Dozens of Chinese cities, including Wuhan, Beijing and Shanghai, have reported new cases since late July, including those with symptoms and those without, in what officials say was the most serious outbreak since the peak of China's epidemic in spring last year.
To deal with the infections, some cities have initiated multiple rounds of mass testing to identify carriers. Inter-city travel restrictions have been imposed, and public places of gathering including entertainment venues, have been either shut or restricted.
