Mainland health authorities recorded 2,940 new local Covid infections for December 24, and reported no new deaths.

The toll was down from 4,103 a day earlier.

New local cases in Beijing dropped to 305 on Saturday from 580 the day before.

Guangdong logged 1,384 new cases, down from 1,737 infections on Friday, while Chongqing reported 234 new cases.

Authorities said Yunnan, Hubei, Fujian and Sichuan provinces each reported more than 100 new Covid infections.

Meanwhile, the National Health Commission said it would no longer publish daily Covid case numbers starting from Sunday, although it added that information will be published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention instead.