Dalian records 24 asymptomatic COVID-19 cases

Port city Dalian in Northeast China's Liaoning province reported 24 asymptomatic COVID-19 infections on Saturday.

Zhao Lian, deputy director of Dalian Health Commission, said at a Saturday press conference that by 2 pm Saturday the city had collected samples for nucleic acid tests from more than 210,000 people at key areas including the two medium-risk Dalianwan sub-district of Ganjingzi district and the Gongrencun residential community of Xianglujiao sub-district, Xigang district.

The city has set up more than 600 collection sites at the key area and dispatches nearly 2,000 medical workers every day to collect samples, said Zhao.

Of all the 12 confirmed cases and 54 asymptomatic infections, 10 and 46, respectively, are Dalian Kaiyang World Seafood Co's employees and their relatives.

The city thus has taken stricter public health measures for those with close contacts with Kaiyang's employees. It has ordered 14-day quarantine and at least twice nucleic acid tests.

According to Guo Yunfeng, head of Dalian's Ganjingzi district, they are conducting an investigation on Kaiyang's employees who left their jobs or left Dalian as well as people who entered and left the factory via vehicles since July 1.

The related information will be shared with the disease control departments of relevant provinces and cities simultaneously for epidemic control, said Guo.

According to the health authorities of Northeast China's Jilin province, on Friday, they found four asymptomatic infections through active screening of people who had arrived in Jilin from Dalian. Quarantine and control measures have been taken for all their close contacts and related personnel.