New Delhi: India is keeping an eye on the Covid situation in China, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday amid the rapid rise in cases in the country.

"We are keeping an eye on the Covid situation in China. We have always helped other countries as the pharmacy of the world," said MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi during a weekly press briefing.

"We are yet to issue a travel advisory but people should follow local guidelines in the country where they're living," he added.

China's recent exit from zero-Covid could lead to nearly 1 million deaths, according to CNN. After lifting covid curbs this month, the second-largest country braces for an unprecedented wave of infections in its major cities.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Chinese government has used strict lockdowns, centralized quarantines, mass testing and rigorous contact tracing to curb the spread of the virus.

Between 1.3 and 2.1 million lives could be at risk if China lifts its zero-COVID policy given low vaccination and booster rates as well as a lack of hybrid immunity, according to London-based global health intelligence and analytics firm.

"Mainland China has very low levels of immunity across its population. Its citizens were vaccinated with domestically produced jabs Sinovac and Sinopharm which have been proven to have significantly lower efficacy and provide less protection against infection and death," according to an analysis by Airfinity.

On Wednesday, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern over the evolving situation in China, with increasing reports of severe disease.

"In order to make a comprehensive risk assessment of the situation on the ground, WHO needs more detailed information on disease severity, hospital admissions and requirements for intensive care unit support," the WHO chief said during a weekly press conference.

"WHO is supporting China to focus its efforts on vaccinating people at the highest risk across the country, and we continue to offer our support for clinical care and protecting its health system," he added.