China expects new Covid-19 outbreak to widen in coming days

China’s new Covid-19 infections will increase in coming days and the areas affected by the epidemic may continue to expand, a health official said.

The current outbreak in China is caused by the delta variant from overseas, Wu Liangyou, an official at the National Health Commission, said at a briefing in Beijing on Sunday.

The outbreak has expanded to 11 provinces in the week since October 17. Meanwhile, the country has given complete doses of Covid-19 vaccines to about 75.6 per cent of its population as of October 23, an official said.