China’s northern Hebei region has completed a major test program in a bid to maintain the country’s worst coronavirus mitigation in months, according to the department’s deputy chief executive officer, Xu Jianpei.
About 17 million people were tested in the campaign – more than 10.2 million of them in the regional capital Shijiazhuang and 6.7 million in the city of Xingtai, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.
The big test began last Wednesday as the two cities reported the largest local uprising on mainland China for months.
On Sunday, Hebei province reported 82 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases, according to the country’s National Health Commission. Among the new local cases, 77 were reported in Shijiazhuang, and five were confirmed in Xingtai.
Last week, China shut down Shijiazhuang, implementing some of the toughest measures since the country largely embraced the spread of the coronavirus in March.
Residents have been banned from leaving the city and must self-quarantine at home for seven days after taking the mandatory Covid-19 test. All public transport was canceled, major roads were blocked, railway and bus stations were closed and flights were canceled.