Rise in COVID-19 rate under control

The number of COVID-19 infections in China has been steadily rising since early April, but the overall spread of acute respiratory infectious diseases remains low and under control, according to official data and health experts.

Data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that the COVID-19 positivity rate among influenza-like illnesses at hospitals rose from 7.5 percent in the seven-day period beginning March 31 to 16.2 percent during the seven-day period beginning April 27. COVID-19 has now surpassed rhinovirus to become the most prevalent respiratory virus in circulation.

"The COVID-19 positivity rate is trending upward this month, with higher rates in southern provinces compared with those in the north. But the growth in some provinces has begun to slow," the agency said in a disease surveillance report released last week.