BEIJING — China is facing rising risks of COVID-19 epidemic as cluster cases have emerged in some parts of the country ahead of the Spring Festival holiday, a health official said on Jan 20.

A total of 757 locally transmitted cases occurred in the Chinese mainland over the past week, said Mi Feng with the National Health Commission (NHC) at a press conference in Beijing.

The number of close contacts under medical observation reached a ten-month record high, he added.

The newly reported cluster cases mainly occurred in rural areas, Mi said, adding the virus spread in families, communities and schools has posed a challenge to the disease containment effort.