BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- China has basically completed relocation programs for poverty-alleviation purposes by the end of July, the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development said on Friday.

Despite the adverse impact caused by COVID-19, China has steadily pushed ahead with efforts to fight poverty in the first half of the year, said an official with the office.

Headway has been made in the employment of poor laborers, while the campaign of poverty-relief through consumption is progressing well.

A total of 2.85 million people in 52 key poverty-stricken counties have returned to work, and 22 provincial-level regions in central and west China have relocated around 4.79 million poor people through creating public welfare jobs, showed data from the office.

Some 428,400 poverty-relief projects in these regions have started operating, and 30,443 poverty-relief workshops have resumed.