As the latest Omicron variants of COVID spread rapidly, cities across China have rolled out new measures to cope with the situation. 

To provide faster and more convenient medical treatment for patients, the National Health Commission (NHC) issued a notice on December 12 to expand online medical services for COVID-19 patients. 

Beijing has recently released a list of hospitals and medical institutions that provide online diagnosis and treatment services, as well as community health service centers that receive patients with 11 types of symptoms including fever, dry cough, sore throat and runny nose. 

Cities in east China's Zhejiang Province have also opened internet hospitals in response to the high demand for diagnosis and treatment in fever clinics. 

The Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital in Hangzhou, affiliated with Zhejiang University School of Medicine, launched a green channel for rapid COVID-19 consultation on December 9. Since then, a total of 72 experts from departments such as infection and respiratory medicine have provided 24-hour online services and more than 8,400 online consultations have been conducted. 

Children are vulnerable to COVID-19 and are the focus of protection. 

In central China's Hunan Province, the provincial children's hospital has integrated medical resources from the departments of respiratory medicine, general medicine, infection and traditional Chinese medicine, and opened an online channel for COVID-19 consultation. So far, nearly 300 people have been provided with COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment online. 

"The online medical services can provide consultation and medication guidance for more patients who stay at home," Jiao Yahui, head of the Bureau of Medical Administration under NHC, told China Media Group. 

"Prescriptions can be made online and drugs would be delivered offline, which can ease the pressure of visiting doctors offline, and avoid crowds in hospitals to reduce the risk of cross-infections," she said.

(With input from Xinhua)