The sweeping restrictions, which prevent people from leaving their homes, come as the country braces for the Lunar New Year travel rush, followed by the 2022 Winter Olympics, due to begin in the capital Beijing on Feb 4, reports CNN.

The Chinese mainland on Friday reported 87 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Saturday.

Of the new local cases, 78 were reported in Shaanxi, five in Guangxi, and four in Yunnan, the commission said.

Also reported were 53 new imported cases in 11 provincial-level regions, according to the commission.

Friday also saw six new suspected cases reported in Shanghai and Zhejiang, all of whom were from outside the mainland.

No new deaths from COVID-19 were reported on the day, it added.