Photos: Nearly half of Chinese city of 9 million swabbed for COVID-19 in two days

City aiming to test entire population within 5 days of the detection of the first cases

Published: October 13, 2020 15:28 AFP and Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Senior Web Editor

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Beijing: More than four million coronavirus test swabs have been taken in a matter of days in Qingdao, the Chinese port city where a minor outbreak elicited a sweeping health response. Image Credit: AFP

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Queues for testing stretched across the eastern city for a another day on Tuesday after authorities detected six virus cases on the weekend and swiftly swung into action to head off a wider outbreak. Image Credit: AFP

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In scenes which contrasted with the fumbled efforts of other nations to establish effective screening regimes, Qingdao health workers in protective gear set up tents to take samples across neighbourhoods. Image Credit: AFP

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Residents said on social media that community representatives informed them of their nearest testing stations, with local districts helping to organise sample collection for mass testing. Image Credit: AFP

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"4.2 million samples have been collected for nucleic acid testing" as of Tuesday afternoon, city authorities said in a press conference reported by state media, adding that 1.9 million results had been obtained. Image Credit: AFP

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Except for the six confirmed cases and six asymptomatic infections earlier announced, no new cases have been found, the report added. Image Credit: AFP

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The city is aiming to test its entire population - around 9.4 million - within five days of the detection of the first cases at a hospital on Sunday. Image Credit: AFP

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China has paraded its rapid testing capacities during previous minor outbreaks and the ruling Communist Party is desperate to show its ability to manage the pandemic to its citizens - as well as to foreign audiences - after it emerged in the central city of Wuhan late last year. Image Credit: AFP

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The country has bounced back since the virus emerged late last year and forced widespread lockdowns that hammered the world's second-largest economy. China is also desperate to be the first nation to produce a coronavirus vaccine, with several companies in final-stage trials. Image Credit: AFP

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