Most COVID-19 patients in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, are exhibiting mild symptoms, while only three patients are in critical condition, and eight have recovered and been discharged from hospital, said Zhang Bo, deputy director of the Xi'an municipal health commission, at a news conference on Sunday.

Xi'an reported 122 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, bringing the total number of infections in the city to 1,573 cases since Dec 9, Zhang said.

Rapidly implemented quarantine measures and mass testing have proved effective, as 104 new cases on Saturday were discovered in quarantine and 18 from testing, he said.

The local government ordered a citywide lockdown on Dec 23 to rein in the spread of COVID-19, and some citizens have complained online that they haven't been allowed to go out to buy food.