BEIJING — China reported 328 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in July, close to the total of such cases reported in the previous five months, a health official said on July 31.

Several places in China have recently seen cluster infections linked to imported cases, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, at a press conference.

In July, 14 provinces reported new locally transmitted confirmed cases or asymptomatic cases, Mi said.

As the highly contagious Delta variant continues to spread globally, China is facing mounting pressure to guard against the importation of the virus.

Since the beginning of July, China has seen an average of 27 daily new imported cases, Mi said.