A woman wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus is silhouetted as she walks by a TV screen showing CCTV reporting number of COVID-19 cases in China, at a shopping mall in Beijing, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
The Associated Press
BEIJING (AP) - Chinese health officials announced Thursday that more than 1 billion people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the world's most populous country, or about 72% of its 1.4 billion people.
Through Wednesday, 2.16 billion vaccine doses had been administered and 1.01 billion people had been fully vaccinated, National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said at a news conference.
The announcement came as China battles a new outbreak of the delta variant in the southeastern province of Fujian, where 200 cases have been confirmed in the past six days.
Authorities have locked down affected neighborhoods, closed schools and entertainment venues and restricted travel out of Fujian in an effort to keep the virus from spreading.
China has largely stopped the spread of the coronavirus by imposing restrictions and mass testing whenever new cases are found. It also limits entry to the country and requires people who arrive to quarantine in a hotel for at least two weeks.
People wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 walk along a street in the central business district in Beijing, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. China on Thursday reported several dozen additional locally-transmitted cases of coronavirus as it works to contain an outbreak in the eastern province of Fujian. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
A crossing guard wearing a face mask to protect against COVID-19 stands at an intersection in the central business district in Beijing, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. China on Thursday reported several dozen additional locally-transmitted cases of coronavirus as it works to contain an outbreak in the eastern province of Fujian. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
People wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 wait in line at a bus stop in the central business district in Beijing, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. China on Thursday reported several dozen additional locally-transmitted cases of coronavirus as it works to contain an outbreak in the eastern province of Fujian. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
Commuters wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus ride on an escalator past by an advertisement at a subway station in Beijing, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
The Associated Press
People wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 make their way through traffic at an intersection in the central business district in Beijing, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. China on Thursday reported several dozen additional locally-transmitted cases of coronavirus as it works to contain an outbreak in the eastern province of Fujian. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
People wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 walk along a street in the central business district in Beijing, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. China on Thursday reported several dozen additional locally-transmitted cases of coronavirus as it works to contain an outbreak in the eastern province of Fujian. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press
A man wearing a face mask to protect against COVID-19 stands on a pedestrian bridge in the central business district in Beijing, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. China on Thursday reported several dozen additional locally-transmitted cases of coronavirus as it works to contain an outbreak in the eastern province of Fujian. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Associated Press