BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Maintaining vigilance at all times amid the COVID-19 pandemic, China has shown its determination and confidence to keep production and people's lives in order by combining regular COVID-19 prevention and control measures with quick emergency actions.

Sporadic locally transmitted cases have recently emerged in China's capital of Beijing as well as in northeast China's Liaoning Province and the southern high-tech hub of Shenzhen. The country has a total of 21 medium-risk areas for COVID-19 as of 3 p.m. Monday.

To secure the prompt implementation of response measures while keeping the impact on production and social lives at a minimum, local authorities have precisely narrowed down risk areas to villages, subdistricts and residential compounds. Following reports of new infections, the government immediately activated emergency response measures, conducting epidemiological surveys, source tracing, mass testing, implementing community management and carrying out environmental disinfection.

By 3 p.m. Monday, authorities in Beijing's Shunyi District, where most of the city's new cases were reported, had conducted nucleic acid testing for more than 1.2 million people, and over 900,000 had tested negative. The entire city will tighten personnel flow management in tourist areas, undertake mass testing for new employees in public service industries, cancel temple fairs and large-scale cultural activities during the upcoming New Year and Spring Festival holidays. People were also advised to avoid unnecessary outbound travel.

These quick and targeted responses, which have proven effective, cannot be smoothly carried out without the active cooperation and firm support of the public. No longer panicked, more Chinese people have confidently and calmly responded to the sporadic cases.

China is now acquainted with the regularities of COVID-19 prevention and control as its disease tracking and precise control capabilities have stood the test of time and practice.

China has successfully brought the coronavirus under control, yet it has every reason to remain cautious as concerns emerge over waves of outbreaks in other countries, with new COVID-19 strains detected, and mass travel could increase the risk of virus spreading.

More efforts are still needed in research into the coronavirus' source, transmission and pathogenesis, as well as in current therapeutics and drugs, and in the vaccines under development. At present, everyone should exercise caution, and COVID-19 prevention and control measures should be as stringent as possible.