China calls for stronger testing regime to detect coronavirus

China’s health authority called for a stronger and more rigorous testing regime to ensure that the new coronavirus does not escape detection, whether in travellers arriving from abroad or from other parts of the country.

All localities must improve their testing capabilities, including those at border crossings, and report any epidemic information in a timely manner, the National Health Commission cited its director Ma Xiaowei as saying. Ma made the comments on Saturday, but they were released publicly by the ministry on Monday.

China reported 12 new confirmed cases on April 19, the lowest since March 13.

Despite the downtrend, officials remain concerned about the re-emergence of local transmissions in parts of the country, including Beijing, where a central district has been re-classified as high-risk following three recent local infections.

Ma singled out the provinces of Heilongjiang and Guangdong, saying they should identify the “weak links” in their ability to prevent and control the epidemic.