On Monday, October 12, China’s “11th” National Day holiday just ended, long lines formed again in many neighborhoods of Qingdao, Shandong province, with people wearing masks, faces showing signs of fatigue, and older people, with chairs or small benches, seemingly ready for the “long fight”.
Although this scene was familiar to the overcrowded tourist spots during the National Day, the faces of those in line were completely devoid of joy. The horror of the new coronavirus was on everyone’s mind. News reports say that Qingdao has discovered another case of local infection, and the city’s residents are being screened for the virus.
The Qingdao Municipal Health Commission reported Monday morning (Oct. 12) that the city has developed and launched a full nucleic acid testing program, and community testing is being accelerated. Within three days to the city’s south, north, Licang, Laoshan, Chengyang five districts for comprehensive testing, five days to complete the city’s more than 9 million people in the big clearance.
This is another major investigation of nearly 10 million people in China since Wuhan, the site of the outbreak of the new coronavirus, conducted a major investigation of its 11 million residents in February.
As of Monday’s announcement, 12 cases of new coronavirus infection had been reported in the city, six of which were local and six of which were asymptomatic, the Qingdao Health Commission reported.
The outbreak originated when three asymptomatic cases were detected on Oct. 10, which local authorities later found to be linked to the city’s chest hospital. At noon Monday, Qingdao had placed 132 close contacts under quarantine for observation, nine of whom tested positive.
It has been nearly two months since there were no domestic infections in China’s official outbreak report since August.
The emergency departments of Qingdao Chest Hospital and Qingdao Central Hospital have been closed. The areas used to isolate patients have also been closed. The Qingdao authorities have decided to postpone the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Investment and Trade Fair, which was scheduled to be held in Qingdao from October 16 to 18.
A team from the National Health Commission traveled to Qingdao on Monday. The cities of Yantai and Jinan have requested nucleic acid tests for those returning from Qingdao since Sept. 23. These two cities, along with many other provinces and cities across the country, have urged people not to travel to Qingdao.
The scope of the testing proposed by Yantai and Jinan well before the “Eleventh Day” holiday clearly indicates that the outbreak may be more extensive than the official post-Eleventh Day period, and that a new round of infections may have occurred by that time.
According to public data, Qingdao received a total of 4.48 million visitors during the “Eleventh Five-Year” Golden Week, and it is possible that the virus may have spread through them to other parts of the country.
China’s National Health Commission reported 21 new cases in China on October 11, but Qingdao’s case was not included. The number of asymptomatic cases increased to 32 from 23 the day before. Chinese authorities do not include asymptomatic cases among the confirmed cases.
Qingdao is a busy port city where many large companies, such as Haier and Tsingtao Brewery, are headquartered. Officials have not said whether any of the new cases are related to travel or economic activity.
Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Communist Party’s Global Times, tweeted during the “Eleventh Day” holiday that “the Chinese people have almost forgotten about the new coronavirus. China had a National Day with no new infections. Some netizens responded to Hu Xi Jin by saying, “Don’t brag too much about China having a National Day without any new cases of virus infection. Get in your face so quickly!”
China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism estimates that 618 million people traveled during this year’s eleventh holiday, with a “retaliatory growth” in tourism spending.
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