BEIJING — Over 1.21 billion people in China have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a Chinese health official said at a press conference on Jan 8.

Nearly 2.89 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered on the Chinese mainland as of Jan 7, said Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission.

Noting that there has been a daily average of nearly 1.9 million new infections globally over the past week, the spokesperson said that China is facing increased pressure from inbound COVID-19 cases.

"It is imperative that we stick to the approach of forestalling inbound transmissions and preventing a domestic resurgence," he said.

He urged authorities to test all who need to be tested, quarantine all who need to be quarantined, and treat all who need to be treated. He said that earnest efforts should be made to ensure residents have access to necessities and medical services.

COVID-19 prevention and containment awareness should only be stronger in the run-up to the Spring Festival holiday, he said.