Beijing International Film Festival delayed due to new COVID-19 outbreaks in China

The Beijing International Film Festival has been postponed due to new COVID-19 outbreaks in China, Sputnik reported citing the event's official statement on Thursday.

"Due to the recent outbreaks of the epidemic in many areas of the country, the 11th Beijing International Film Festival, originally scheduled for August 14-21, will be postponed for general safety and health reasons," the statement said.

However, the organisers have not announced for how long the festival will be put off, reported Sputnik.

China on Thursday reported 85 new coronavirus cases, including 62 new locally transmitted ones, as delta variant of the virus spreads in Chinese cities.

Of the locally transmitted cases, 40 were reported in Jiangsu, nine in Hunan, three each in Beijing, Shandong, Henan and Yunnan, and one in Hubei, according to National Health Commission.

The country also reported 23 new imported cases. Among these, nine were reported in Shanghai, eight in Yunnan, three in Fujian, two in Guangdong, and one in Shandong, Chinese-state media China Daily reported.

Meanwhile, no deaths related to COVID-19 were reported.

Wuhan city in Central China's Hubei province on Tuesday announced that it will test the city's entire population of 11 million for the coronavirus virus in wake of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

The city, which reported the first case of COVID-19 in late 2019, has also upgraded its epidemic response measure, locking down the area where local COVID-19 infections have been reported while upgrading its risk levels, Chinese state media Global Times reported.

( With inputs from ANI )