The National Health Commission on Saturday said current cases of acute respiratory diseases in the country are all caused by known pathogens, and no new infectious diseases caused by new viruses have been identified.

Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the commission, said officials are actively monitoring and assessing winter respiratory diseases, with efforts underway to optimise medical resource allocation.

"It is necessary to further increase the supply of medical services, promote the opening of paediatric outpatient clinics at all levels of medical institutions such as traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, maternal and child health hospitals," he said during a press conference.

Mi added that this expansion will involve extending outpatient service hours during lunchtime, evenings, and weekends based on the number of patients. It will also increase the number of hospital beds and make the registration and payment processes easier for the public.

China has seen a rise in respiratory illnesses as the country braces for its first full winter season since it lifted Covid restrictions in December last year. (Additional reporting by Xinhua/Reuters)