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Coronavirus China
ChinaPolitics

Chinese cities step up Covid-19 testing as party congress approaches

  • Tech zone in central China’s Zhengzhou and areas of Guangzhou require twice-a-day PCR screenings as cases rebound nationwide
  • New measures come as Beijing signals it will continue strict zero-Covid strategy after pivotal political meeting next week

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Zhengzhou has faced a growing risk of Covid-19 outbreaks since large numbers of travellers passed through the central Chinese city during the National Day holiday earlier this month. Photo: AFP
Salina Li
Districts in two major Chinese cities have imposed twice-a-day testing requirements to control the coronavirus as the country maintains its zero-Covid approach ahead of the national party congress.
Huadu district in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou started a new round of mass testing on Thursday morning, with some areas implementing “temporary control measures” requiring residents to undergo twice-daily tests, according to the district’s epidemic prevention and control headquarters.

Restaurants in Huadu district have suspended dine-in services, while schools have suspended face-to-face instruction.

Meanwhile, residents of a hi-tech zone in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, are required to undergo two tests daily for three consecutive days from Wednesday, according to a People’s Daily social media post.
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Those who do not participate in the Covid-19 screenings risk a change to their health code status, restricting their entry to public places, the post said.

Many residents in the Zhengzhou hi-tech zone received a notice requiring them to participate in Covid-19 testing from October 12 to October 14, once in the morning or early afternoon and once in the evening, Caixin reported.

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Officials have not publicly released any policies on the testing programme, but social media users in Henan have posted photos of people queuing for tests and a notice outlining the testing requirements, though the document’s authenticity has not been confirmed.

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