Chongqing-Four locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Chongqing Municipality as of November 2, with the districts of Jiulongpo, Changshou, Ba'nan, and the Liangjiang New Area.

There have been a total of 582 locally transmitted cases to date in Chongqing as of 24:00 November 2, with four ongoing (Jiulongpo, Changshou, Banan, and Liangjiang New Area), 572 discharged from hospital, and six deaths, according to the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission Wednesday morning.

 Each reporting a new case as follows;

• Li (32-year-old male) was confirmed as a locally transmitted case of COVID-19 in Jiulongpo District following a positive nucleic acid test result on November 2. The patient was admitted to the hospital with a fever the day prior.
• Zheng (32-year-old male), a resident of the Central Park community of Changshou District, has been confirmed as a COVID-19 patient and close contact with Li (case 1).
• Huang (38-year-old male), a resident of the Luneng Phase 1 Complex in Yudong, Banan District, has been confirmed as a COVID-19 patient and close contact with Li (case 1).
• Li (28-year-old male), a resident of the Mawang village of Jiulongpo District, has been reported as a COVID-19 patient and close contact with Li (case 1) by the Liangjiang New Area.

In addition, two further individuals have been reported as asymptomatic carriers.

• Xia (30-year-old female), a resident of Longxi Street, Yubei District, has been assessed as an asymptomatic carrier and close contact of a recent case in Sichuan Province.
• Cheng (31-year-old female), resident of the Central Park community of Changshou District and spouse of the above-named patient Zheng, has been assessed to be an asymptomatic carrier.

People in Chongqing register their details prior to taking a nucleic acid test at a local facility. (Photo/ Xie Zhiqiang)

Expert teams dispatched for epidemic response

In response, the Communist Party of China Chongqing Municipal Committee and the Chongqing Municipal People's Government immediately convened a meeting of the leading group for epidemic prevention and control to initiate emergency mechanisms, organize experts to assess epidemic risk, perform epidemiological investigation, screen for affected personnel, and undertake measures for prevention and control of the outbreak.

A municipal and district level command system has entered a state of emergency so that affected districts and counties can track the patient's movements prior to his diagnosis.

Expert teams have been dispatched to guide the districts of Jiulongpo, Yubei, and Nan'an to trace close and secondary contacts for quarantine, while affected locations and venues have been sealed off for control measures.

As of 24:00 on November, 2 27,856 close contacts have been traced, with 279 currently receiving medical observation and 27,577 having been released.

Medical institutions involved have closed their fever clinics and cut the flow of personnel. Possible contacts have been listed for nucleic acid testing, while thorough environmental sampling and disinfection have been carried out.

Presently, the affected patient (Mr. Li) has been transferred to the Chongqing Public Health Medical Center for isolated treatment and is currently in stable condition.

In the next step, every effort will be made to strictly implement epidemic prevention and control through more practical, detailed, and swifter measures to assure the public's health and safety while preventing imported cases and a domestic rebound.

Citizens reacted positively to the call for mass testing by queuing through the night at facilities set up promptly in response to newly confirmed cases across four districts. (Photo/ Long Fan)

Emergency testing continues through the night

Following the reports of confirmed COVID-19 patients across four districts in Chongqing, facilities were promptly set up across the city to conduct mass testing, and areas directly affected were shut down for containment.

Testing facilities were staffed with medical workers, employees from neighborhood committees, policemen, and volunteers, who dedicated their time and energy to assuring that testing sites ran smoothly.

Citizens were pro-active in their response and waited patiently in long queues to receive nucleic acid testing on a relatively night of 17 degrees Celsius.

The response has paid testament to the speed and efficiency of Chongqing as the city moves swiftly to contain the outbreak within this critical first 24 hours.