China health authority calls for stronger testing regime to detect coronavirus

The Chinese health authority has called for a stronger and more rigorous testing regime to ensure that the new coronavirus does not escape detection. All localities must improve their testing capabilities – including those at border crossings, and report any pandemic information in a timely manner, the National Health Commission cited its director Ma Xiaowei as saying. The comments were released by the ministry on Monday.

China, where the new virus emerged late last year, reported 12 new confirmed cases on April 19, the lowest since March 13. Despite the downtrend, officials remain concerned about the re-emergence of local transmissions in some parts of the country. They include Beijing, where a central district has been re-classified as high-risk following three recent local infections.

Ma singled out the provinces of Heilongjiang and Guangdong, saying they should identify the “weak links” in their ability to prevent and control the epidemic.

The new local cases have been driven by an influx of Chinese nationals coming home from abroad, particularly in Heilongjiang, which has seen a surge in citizens returning from Russia, Reuters said. New local cases have also been due to people arriving from the central Hubei province, ground zero of the coronavirus outbreak in China.