Shijiazhuang racing to roll out 2nd round of citywide COVID-19 tests

Authorities in Shijiazhuang, North China's Hebei province, are racing to roll out a second citywide nucleic acid test for COVID-19, an official said Saturday, after a five-day testing campaign that concluded on Friday found 354 people positive for the virus out of its more than 10 million citizens.

Ma Yujun, the city's deputy mayor, said the upcoming operation will take a shorter time, partly thanks to improved testing capacity.

Medical workers deployed by East China's Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, as well as new testing equipment, also will contribute to the operation's velocity, he said.

"We'll make sure to halt the spread of the virus," he said at a news conference held by the provincial government in Shijiazhuang.

The deputy mayor announced citizens need to observe the stay-at-home order for another week, after it was introduced across the city on Tuesday.

Authorities have hammered out a plan to ensure that food, medicines and other supplies remain sufficient during the week-long home quarantine, he said, adding price-gouging will be subject to harsh penalties.

Access to electricity, heating and other services also will be guaranteed, Ma said.

Among the newly detected positive cases, 298, or 84 percent, are in the city's Gaocheng district.