Although previous epidemic prevention and control work has achieved some results, experts believe that the epidemic in Chongqing is still at a critical point of spreading on a large scale, Yang Lin, a Chongqing government spokesperson said at a news conference on Saturday.

"The epidemic situation in Chongqing is extremely serious and complicated," said Yang. "Currently, the COVID-19 epidemic in central urban districts is spreading rapidly."

According to Chongqing Health Commission, the city had reported 158 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,662 new asymptomatic carriers on Saturday.

From Nov 1, when a transmission chain in Chongqing's Shapingba district started, to 6 pm Saturday, a total of 4,974 confirmed cases had been reported in the city. Among which, more than two thirds were in the city's central urban districts, according to Yang.

He said the number of local cases — both confirmed and asymptomatic carriers — is relatively big, which has not been seen in the municipality in the past three years, and the growth is fast and has almost doubled in the last three days.

From Nov 1 to 11, 1,816 cases from the community level had been reported, meaning there exists a large number of hidden community transmitters.

"We will try everything we can to guard people's lives and health, by containing the fast spread of virus with the dynamic zero-COVID approach," said Chen Min'er, Party secretary of Chongqing at a meeting on Saturday.

According to the meeting, the local government has mobilized all city forces in the fight against the epidemic, and has promoted a coordinative policy for transmitting sites, chains and areas and establishing a cooperative working mechanism among the districts to effectively curb the spread of the virus.

Up to 17 rail transit stations in the city's Line 3, Line 9 and Line 10 have stopped service from Sunday, according to Chongqing Rail Transit (Group) Co.

Yang said the market supply of livelihood commodities is sufficient, and can meet residents' needs for over 10 months.

Early on Wednesday, deputy director of the local health commission Li Pan urged residents in 11 central urban districts in Chongqing not to leave their regions, and asked people from outside not to come in unless necessary.