With infections of the novel coronavirus emerging in more than 100 cities nationwide in recent days, the most extensive resurgence of the virus in the past two years, there is enough reason for governments at all levels to take measures necessary to keep the resurgence from gaining further ground.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is just three days away and the National Day that falls on Oct 1 is also drawing near. The holidays mean an increasing number of residents will be on the move to visit relatives and friends. It is necessary therefore that prevention and control measures be implemented and that residents strictly follow the required protocols in public venues.

For individual residents, it is essential that they remain on high alert and not drop their guard.

They should never take it for granted that the prevalent variants of the virus that are much more transmissible are any less harmful than earlier strains. There are indeed fewer severe cases of COVID-19, but there is the risk of further mutation of the virus which may result in serious consequences. Severe cases have sharply increased in Japan in recent days and the death toll has remained more than 200 on a daily basis from COVID-19 for more than two weeks since the middle of August, which is taking a toll on the medical resources of Japan.

This should serve as a reminder to China that it needs to continue its dynamic clearing policy which has proved effective in keeping the spread of the virus at bay.

It is necessary for local governments and communities to make sure that their prevention and control measures are implemented in a targeted manner so that inconveniences to people's daily lives and economic activities can be reduced to the minimum.

It is irresponsible for local governments not to place due emphasis on what they need to do to control the virus. It is equally irresponsible for them to overreact to just a few cases or even severely restrict the activities of residents where there are no cases reported for months.

It is important that China continue to keep COVID-19 at bay, but the prevention and control measures must be further refined to make sure they do not cause social exhaustion due to indiscriminate application.