About 2.36 percent of COVID-19 patients during this round of outbreak in Northwest China's Shaanxi province are severe infections, significantly lower than the average of 7 percent since latter half of 2020, an official at the National Health Commission said on Saturday. 

Guo Yanhong, an official at the commission's medical supervision and administration bureau, said that in Shaanxi province, 47 of the 1,992 infections as of Saturday morning are severe cases, and 24 of them had turned into moderate cases thanks to effective treatment. 

"No COVID-19-related death has been reported in China since January 2021," she said. 

Guo also stressed that regular medical services should be guaranteed as the fight against the disease is underway. 

She said timely treatment must be provided to people's medical needs, especially those facing critical condition and patients with demand for hemodialysis, tumor radiotherapy or chemotherapy, prenatal examination or childbirth services.