Guangdong calls for swifter, stricter steps to control virus

The Guangdong provincial leading team for COVID-19 control said epidemiological investigation on the current outbreak should be done well swiftly to keep the virus away and nucleic acid tests should be carried out on a larger scale and more efficiently.

The control over the outward movement of people in key areas should be strengthened and classified management of areas at various risk levels implemented strictly, according to the Nanfang Daily reporting on the meeting hosted by provincial Party secretary Li Xi on Thursday.

The team urged all-out efforts for the clinical treatment of the patients, commodity supply to people in key areas, and the arrangement of the upcoming college entrance examination.

Guangdong reported seven new locally-transmitted COVID-19 patients, including six in Guangzhou and one in Foshan, on Thursday, said the provincial health commission.

Two previously identified local asymptomatic carriers became confirmed in Guangzhou, which recorded one more local asymptomatic carrier on Thursday.

Meanwhile, in an effort to speed up nucleic acid testing, a drone was employed recently to transport swap samples from Guangzhou-based Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital to the lab in the city, shortening the shipping time from half an hour to about 10 minutes.