Chinese Province Offers Free Virus Testing Amid Outbreak Fears
Chinese Province Offers Free Virus Testing Amid Outbreak Fears
(Bloomberg) --
The capital of China’s Xinjiang province will offer free coronavirus tests amid fears of an outbreak that has led to a lockdown of housing compounds and the closure of malls and hotels.
Testing will be conducted in two phases in Urumqi, local government officials said at a press conference on Saturday. People in residential areas who’ve had direct or indirect contact with those who are confirmed or suspected to be infected will be tested first, they said.
Residents in other housing compounds, and government and civil servant institutions will be tested in the second phase.
On Saturday, all of China’s 13 locally-transmitted virus cases were found in Urumqi. The city of more than 3.5 million people has 30 confirmed cases and 41 asymptomatic carriers since it reported its first infection in five months on July 15.
Residents have been banned from leaving their housing compounds, with provisions made for those who are sick or in special situations, Caixin reported on Friday. People arriving from other provinces will be quarantined for seven days.
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With assistance from Bloomberg