The Chinese government said Monday that health authorities are going to be COVID-19 testing more than nine million people this week after they discovered 12 new cases, The Wall Street Journal reported.
This is a first after a two month period of no reported COVID-19 transmission, the Associated Press reported. The National Health Commission said that authorities are looking into the cause of nine cases, eight from the Qingdao’s Municipal Chest Hospital and one of a family member.
“The whole city will be tested within five days,” The National Health Commission said on social media, according to the AP.
The Qingdao government said Monday that by 12 p.m., they had tested almost 280,000 people that possibly came into contact and have a goal of testing the city’s entire population this week, the WSJ reported.
The Chinese city of Qingdao is testing all of its 9.5 million residents for the coronavirus after it recorded China’s first locally transmitted cases in almost two months. https://t.co/UISjvhG9k6
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 12, 2020
Officials said beforehand that three cases connected to the Qingdao Chest Hospital were discovered on the weekend at the end of the country’s eight-day National Day celebration, the WSJ reported. Local health officials found nine hospital-connected cases, they said Monday.
The hospital is specialized for patients coming from outside China that were infected with the virus, the WSJ reported. (RELATED: Chinese-State-Run Media Chief Says Trump And Melania ‘Paid The Price’ For Downplaying Coronavirus)
The authorities haven’t put the city on lockdown, but the local government issued more quarantine measures for the hospital and the areas where those who are confirmed to have the virus live, the WSJ reported. Health authorities usually put cities on “wartime mode” when there is a surge in local cases, according to WSJ.
Qingdao still held their annual three-week beer festival in August, though masks and social distancing were required, the WSJ reported. Xinhua News Agency reported that there were no officially reported cases from the festival that had more than a 1.2 million people come, according to the WSJ.
China has reported 4,634 COVID-19 deaths, 85,578 total cases, and nine possible cases that still need confirmation, the AP reported. Although they still survey travelers and public building visitors for possible COVID-19 signs, the Chinese Communist Party has relaxed the majority of travel and business restraints.
The State Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.