Chinese health authorities plan to test all 9 million people in the eastern city of Qingdao for COVID-19 this week after nine cases linked to a hospital were found, the government announced yesterday.
The announcement broke a two-month streak with no virus transmissions reported within China, though the nation has a practice of not reporting asymptomatic cases.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has lifted most curbs on travel and business, but still monitors travelers and visitors to public buildings for signs of infection.
Photo: AFP
Authorities were investigating the source of the infections in eight patients at Qingdao Chest Hospital and a family member of one of them, the Chinese National Health Commission said.
“The whole city will be tested within five days,” it said on its social media account.
Qingdao’s government said it has locked down the Qingdao Chest Hospital, as well as the emergency department of its central hospital.
Buildings housing infected individuals have also been locked down as part of the virus containment measures, it said.
China, where the pandemic emerged in December last year, has reported 4,634 deaths and 85,578 cases, plus nine suspected cases that have yet to be confirmed.
The last reported virus transmissions within China were four patients found on Aug. 15 in the northwestern city of Urumqi in the Xinjiang region.
All the cases reported since then were in travelers from outside of China.
The CCP in April lifted measures that cut off most access to cities with a total of about 60 million people, including Wuhan in central China.
Qingdao is a busy port with the headquarters of companies including Haier, a major appliance maker, and the Tsingtao brewery.
The government gave no indication whether the latest cases had contacts with travel or trade.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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