This includes 5,503 deaths due to respiratory failure directly caused by the virus, and 54,435 deaths due to underlying diseases combined with Covid, Xiao said.
Since abandoning its zero-covid policy in early December, China has been accused of downplaying the number of deaths from the virus.
Health officials stressed on Wednesday that it was “not necessary” to dwell on the exact number.
Beijing previously revised its methodology for classifying Covid deaths, saying it would only count those who die of respiratory failure specifically caused by the virus.
But it was criticized by the World Health Organisation, which said the new definition was “too narrow”.