YINCHUAN -- Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region on Monday expanded the suspension of in-person classes to more areas to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Kindergartens, primary and middle schools, vocational schools and off-campus training centers in the regional capital Yinchuan, as well as the cities of Shizuishan, Wuzhong and Zhongwei, have been ordered to suspend in-person classes, according to the regional education department.

With the new directive, in-person classes in four of the region's five prefectural-level cities currently stand suspended.

Students will be offered online classes, and boarding schools and vocational schools in these cities will adopt closed-off management based on their conditions.

Previously, six county-level areas in three prefectural-level cities that had reported COVID-19 cases in the latest resurgence were asked to suspend in-person classes.

Ningxia reported three locally-transmitted confirmed cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 33 in the region since Oct 17, according to the regional headquarters of COVID-19 prevention and control.