BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on Tuesday announced that the country has expanded a trial occupational injury insurance program to cover more workers engaged in new forms of employment.

On July 1, 10 provincial-level regions and multiple platform companies, including ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing, were added to the trial program, which had already covered seven provincial-level regions and seven platform companies, the ministry said.

By 2026, the program will be expanded to all provincial-level regions across the country and generally all platform companies in the ride-hailing, rapid delivery and intra-city freight sectors, according to the ministry. By 2027, the initiative could include platform companies in other industries.

Launched in July 2022, the trial program has seen over 12.3 million workers in relatively new forms of employment -- like delivery workers and ride-hailing drivers -- covered by occupational injury insurance, providing them with critical protections should they experience a severe workplace accident.■