In Qingdao, coronavirus keeps coming

Qingdao, Shandong province, reported a new COVID-19 case on Wednesday — a 40-year-old man who was exposed three weeks ago to a person who had no symptoms, city officials said during a news conference on Thursday.

Two dock workers at Qingdao Port who had unloaded imported frozen seafood tested positive on Sept 24.

A total of 234 people who had been in close contact with the two workers have completed medical isolation and tested negative, the city’s municipal health commission said last week.

From Sunday to Tuesday, the city reported 12 confirmed cases, all of which were linked a pulmonary hospital in the city.

By 8 am on Thursday, the city had collected and tested more than 9.9 million samples and released more than 7.6 million results. There were no additional positives beyond the previously released confirmed cases, the health authority said.

Sui Zhenhua, director of the Qingdao health commission, was suspended from his post and is being investigated, officials said. In addition, Deng Kai, dean of the pulmonary hospital, was removed.

As of Wednesday, Qingdao had reported 78 domestic COVID-19 cases since January, with one death, the commission said. Sixty-four people were discharged.

Thirteen people who tested positive are being isolated and treated at designated hospitals, it said.

The city also received 37 coronavirus patients from overseas. Thirty-six were discharged from the hospital, leaving just one who continues to be treated in isolation.