As per preliminary investigation, the cases were all related to the Qingdao Chest Hospital, which has been receiving COVID-19 patients from overseas, Qingdao health officials said. The source of infection is under investigation.
The city’s anti-epidemic group has locked down the residential compounds where those patients live, as well as the Qingdao Chest Hospital and emergency department of Qingdao Central Hospital where the patients had been treated.
Close contacts will be given nucleic acid tests. On September 24, Qingdao reported two asymptomatic cases in a routine test of workers involved in cold chain production.
Mainland China reported 21 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Oct. 10. All the new cases were imported infections involving travellers from overseas, the National Health Commission said.
The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed, fell to 23. All of them were imported. Mainland China’s tally of confirmed infections stands at 85,557, while the death toll remains 4,634.