Chinese lab accused of concealing positive Covid test results

The laboratory in the northern city of Shijiazhuang is under investigation for allegedly failing to alert the authorities after the case was identified

The city endured a brief lockdown at the end of last month and continued mass testing afterwards to prevent a resurgence in cases

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Mass testing is one of the main measures adopted under the country’s zero-Covid policy. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:00pm, 25 Sep 2022

A Chinese laboratory has been placed under investigation on suspicion of concealing positive Covid-19 test results.

The public security authorities in the city, the capital of the northern province of Hebei, said they had started investigating labs in the city after an outbreak of cases with an unknown origin in the city’s Yuhua district.

The investigation found that the Harmony Health laboratory in the city had found a positive case among a batch of 20 samples collected from a residential community in Yuhua on September 14, but had not reported it to the authorities.

The laboratory, operated by Beijing Harmony Health Medical Diagnostics, was set up in November last year and could not be reached for comment as of Sunday afternoon.

Shijiazhuang entered “emergency status” on August 28 after a number of cases were reported in the city.

In common with many other Chinese cities, sweeping measures were put in place despite a small number of cases.

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