Since July 15, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has been striving to contain the spread of COVID-19 to protect the lives and health of people of all ethnic groups, the chief health official of the region said on Thursday.

"The region has taken decisive measures to cut off the spread of the virus," Mutalif Roz, director of the region's health commission, said at a news conference held in Urumqi, the region's capital. "We stick to targeted and law-based measures in COVID-19 prevention and control, and prioritize screenings and disinfections of key places to eliminate the risks of virus transmission and spreading."

To contain the epidemic, the region has suspended gatherings and group activities, and closed up residential areas in the worst-hit areas. It has also intensified prevention and control efforts at train stations, bus stations and airports by checking body temperatures and mobile phone-generated health codes, and redirecting inbound travelers for medical observation at dedicated facilities, he said.

"We call on residents in Urumqi to refrain from making nonessential trips out of the city, and those who have to take such trips must take nucleic acid tests before leaving to prevent the virus from spreading beyond the city," Mutalif said.

On July 15, a 24-year-old woman from Urumqi tested positive for the virus, making her the first locally transmitted COVID-19 case in Xinjiang since February. Based on epidemiological investigations and lab tests, this round of outbreak was associated with a gathering, and the confirmed infections and asymptomatic cases are mostly in Urumqi.