Shanghai launches drive to test close contacts of asymptomatic patient

Shanghai is racing against time to find close contacts and secondary contacts of an asymptomatic COVID-19 case confirmed on Sunday in Luzhou city, Southwest China’s Sichuan province, who was previously in Shanghai.

The city’s COVID-19 prevention and control office said on Monday that 97 close contacts of the asymptomatic carrier were identified and placed under hotel quarantine by 7 am that day. All the 82 nucleic acid test results conducted showed negative. Tests for the others were underway.

Altogether 469 close contacts of the asymptomatic carrier were identified in the municipality and placed under hotel quarantine. All the 388 nucleic acid test results came out negative. Results for the rest are awaited.

Also, 225 individuals connected to the asymptomatic case were screened and all of their nucleic acid test results came out negative.

Sichuan-based West China City Daily reported that the asymptomatic carrier is a 32-year-old male resident of Luzhou’s Jiangyang district. He took a flight from Shanghai to Luzhou on Saturday morning.