China: Mass testing in Chongqing amid COVID-19 surge
Aug 24, 2022
Beijing [China], August 24 : Amid the worsening COVID-19 situation in China, local authorities have announced that mass testing will be conducted in Chongqing's central area from Wednesday.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, China Daily reported. The southwestern municipality has over 32 million people in 38 districts and counties, and there are about 10 million residing in the nine central districts of Yuzhong, Jiangbei, Yubei, Nan'an, Jiulongpo, Shapingba, Dadukou, Beibei and Banan.
As COVID-19 cases in various Chinese cities have been surging, reports have surfaced that the local administration in the country is encouraging people to report on those who fail to undergo nucleic acid testing.
Since the first confirmed case on August 3, Chongqing has reported 15 infections in various parts of the city.
"At present, Chongqing is facing uncertainty and a complicated situation in epidemic control," said Yang Lin, Chongqing government spokesperson at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, as per China Daily.
He had said that on Wednesday all people in the central areas, including permanent and temporary residents, migrant workers and foreign passport holders, will see their health codes on their mobile phones turn from green to orange. After taking one test, the codes will return to green, which means no abnormal conditions.
According to media reports, a notice by Beihai City in Guangxi read that the people who will give such information (people who refuse to undergo nucleic acid testing) will be rewarded if the details they provide are found to be true. However, the notification was later taken down, the reports had added.
Xi's Zero-Covid policy has failed terribly as new areas come under coronavirus infection especially the tourism hubs of Tibet and Hainan.
