Risk level for COVID-19 in five areas in Shangyu district in Shaoxing, a city in northern Zhejiang, hit by the ongoing pandemic, was raised to the highest level on Wednesday, local health authorities said.

The communities include Chengnan in Baiguan street, Yinhe, and Datong Supermarket, a fresh food mart in the district, which reported a cluster of over 20 cases.

Zhejiang reported 57 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 293.

Sheng Jifang, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, told a press conference Wednesday afternoon that most of the confirmed cases in Shaoxing are elderly people, who became infected in banquets, restaurants, and supermarkets, adding that the Delta variant is highly transmissible and spreads fast.

Shaoxing reported 209 confirmed cases and one asymptomatic case among the 48 cases newly reported on Wednesday.

Jin Shanzhong, deputy district chief of Shangyu district of Shaoxing, said the supplies of the goods and daily necessities within Shangyu are sufficient enough to meet the basic living needs of local residents in Shangyu, which has been locked down since Saturday.

Besides, Hangzhou reported two new confirmed cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 21 in the city and Ningbo reported seven new cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 62 since Dec 5.

Fang Xiaoying in Hangzhou contributed to this story.