Incredible images of Wuhan residents queueing in parks and public squares, as the city attempts to test all 11 million residents for coronavirus.
Dubbed the ‘10-day battle’, the Chinese city officials launched a campaign on Thursday, May 14, after the Wuhan Health Commission announced a cluster of six new infections - the first since the city ended its two-month lockdown on Wednesday, April 8.
Authorities have said the ambitious plan may be the only way to identify all asymptomatic carriers in the city, where residents remain wary and concerned about a second wave of infections.
The Chinese city of Wuhan was the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, with the first known cases believed to have come from a seafood market in the city.
On Saturday, Wuhan officials announced that it had nearly doubled its daily test total from the previous 24 hours, conducting 222,675 across the Chinese city.
It is the highest number of tests carried out in a single day since the city began publishing testing data at the height of the covid-19 outbreak on February 21.
The health commission said it had already identified 28 asymptomatic individuals between May 14 and 16, and those in close contact had been notified.
So far, tests are conducted on a voluntary basis, but those hoping to return to schools or workplaces are expected to present proof of their being disease-free in the form of a health code.
Officials have also encouraged the public to join the mass testing campaign by describing it as a “responsibility” to oneself, as well as family and friends.
According to the health commission, those who had been tested before are not obligated to come forward again, while those under the age of six are not encouraged to take part.
The tests, which are being offered to the public free of charge, are being carried out locally inside gated communities, where residents are queueing in parks and squares to be swabbed.
The Wuhan Health Commission noted that although the outbreak is stable in China, a recent increase in asymptomatic carriers has affected the confidence of those leaving and entering Wuhan.
The 10-day mass testing campaign will ensure a safe work and school environment for all, and help with the safe resumption of all industrial sectors.
Experts believe Wuhan is “capable” of reaching its lofty 11-million target by Sunday, May 24.
Estimates suggest that up to five million residents had already been tested during lockdown, leaving around six million to test over the 10-day period.
