17 Chinese provinces report locally transmitted, asymptomatic COVID-19 cases

BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A total of 17 provincial regions in China have reported locally transmitted or asymptomatic COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday morning, according to a health official.

At a press conference held on Wednesday, Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said China now has 144 medium- and high-risk regions for COVID-19, a record high since the country established epidemic prevention and control efforts on a regular basis.

With COVID-19 outbreaks occurring in multiple regions, the official urged rigorous anti-epidemic measures, including timely investigation of new infections, strengthened management of key regions and personnel, and better personal protection against the virus.