North China’s Tianjin to launch 2nd citywide nucleic acid testing

A medical worker takes a swab sample from a citizen for nucleic acid test at a testing site in Binhai New Area in north China's Tianjin, Jan 9, 2022. (ZHAO ZISHUO / XINHUA)

BEIJING / TIANJIN – North China's Tianjin Municipality on Wednesday morning mobilized all residents to undergo the second round of nucleic acid testing, after the first round of citywide screening starting Sunday found 77 positive samples for COVID-19.

The municipality of 13.9 million people that neighbors Beijing launched the first round of citywide mass testing at 7 am Sunday. A total of 11,912,280 people were sampled in the testing drive, and the results of 7,892,591 samples have been released so far.

The infections were first reported on Saturday in Tianjin, and the gene sequencing found the first two locally transmitted confirmed cases were the VOC/Omicron variant, said the municipal headquarters for COVID-19 prevention and control

The infections were first reported on Saturday in Tianjin, and the gene sequencing found the first two locally transmitted confirmed cases were the VOC/Omicron variant, said the municipal headquarters for COVID-19 prevention and control.

The municipal government said in a notice that the second round of mass testing would start Wednesday afternoon, urging all residents to stay put while awaiting the results of their nucleic acid tests.

The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported 166 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Wednesday.

Of the new local cases, 118 were reported in Henan, 33 in Tianjin, eight in Shaanxi, and seven in Guangdong, the commission said.

Also reported were 55 new imported cases in nine provincial-level regions, according to the commission.

One new suspected case arriving from outside the mainland was reported in Shanghai, and no new deaths from COVID-19 were reported on the day, it added.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland had reached 104,189 by Tuesday, including 3,476 patients still receiving treatment, of whom 14 were in severe condition.

READ MORE: Mainland reports 110 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases

A total of 96,077 patients had been discharged from hospitals on the mainland, and 4,636 had died as a result of the virus.

A total of 32 asymptomatic cases were newly reported Tuesday, 28 of whom arrived from outside the mainland.