Tests required of all patients in Heilongjiang

All patients and their companions must conduct coronavirus tests before being hospitalized for any reason in secondary hospitals or above in Heilongjiang province, the province's health commission authorities announced at a news conference on Thursday.

Since April 9, the province has reported 26 confirmed cases of locally transmitted COVID-19 and 21 local asymptomatic cases. All the confirmed cases and 20 of the asymptomatic cases were in the capital city, Harbin.

"Some medical workers from First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University and Harbin Second Hospital were infected," said Zhao Yuhui, an official of the Heilongjiang Health Commission. "To prevent any cross-infection in hospitals, patients will be placed in separate wards after their tests. Only after removing their infection risks can different patients be placed together."

An 87-year-old male who was treated for a cerebral stroke transmitted the coronavirus to several patients and their family members, the commission said. The case was diagnosed on April 10.

On Thursday, the city reported 11 new asymptomatic cases, including the infection of six nurses.

"All the cases in Harbin manifest the clear characteristics of cluster infections," said Liu Nan, a commission official. "A total of 2,051 related close contacts and high-risk people have been placed in quarantine, and we have finished coronavirus testing for 1,855 of them."

The Chinese mainland reported 11 new locally transmitted infections on Thursday, including five in Guangdong, three in Heilongjiang, two in Shandong province and one in Liaoning province.