Chinese health officials said Friday that citywide testing is needed in Wuhan to identify the scope of the local outbreak there and allow work, school, and business to resume.
Eleven new asymptomatic cases were found in Wuhan today, according to city health officials. The city of 11 million people, capital of Hubei province in central China, is considered ground zero for the coronavirus pandemic.
“The main purpose is to further identify the scope of the epidemic, initiate searching efforts, strengthen detection and inspection,” said Vice Minister Zeng Yixin of the National Health Commission on Friday.
He added that expanding the scope of testing would also promote the “comprehensive recovery of social, economic and living order.”
Officials in Wuhan have already started testing residents, but other cities can also “adjust testing strategies and the scope of testing based on local needs and testing capabilities,” he said.
Fears of a second wave: Zeng’s comments come after China’s National Health Commission said yesterday that the country needs to expand coronavirus testing to prevent a resurgence in cases.
After several new local transmissions were detected in Wuhan, officials there said they would test every resident within 10 days.
