China reports first COVID-19 deaths in over a year

China's health authorities reported two COVID-19 deaths on Saturday. The deaths, both in northeastern Jilin province, bring the country's coronavirus death toll to 4,638. Both fatalities occurred in elderly patients and were the result of their underlying condition.

The majority of new 2,157 community transmissions reported Saturday came from Jilin. The province has imposed a travel ban, with people needing permission from police to travel across borders.

Nationwide, China has reported more than 29,000 confirmed cases since the beginning of March. Faced with the worst surge since late 2019, officials have vowed to double down on the zero-tolerance strategy to contain multiple outbreaks across China.