Wuhan, China, authorities have announced plans to test all 11 million citizens for coronavirus in hopes of avoiding the possibility of a second wave of the virus.
Authorities said the screening for each district will be completed over a 10-day span, according to BBC News.
So far, Wuhan authorities have conducted a door-to-door campaign to notify residents in two of the city’s main districts of the mass testing effort, according to Reuters.
“Some districts [in the city] will start from 12 May, others from 17 May, for example,” the Wuhan Centre for Disease Control said. “Each district finishes its tests within 10 days from the date it started.”
It has been reported that the decision to test the entire population comes as new cases have emerged for the first time since China’s lockdown ended over a month ago.
Prior to the latest report of new coronavirus cases, Wuhan had gone 35 consecutive days without any reported new cases. The latest announcement comes as debates have ensued about whether or not it is necessary to test every citizen.
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention chief epidemiologist Zunyou Wu argues that testing should be focused on specific groups.
“Massive testing should focus on the most susceptible groups and areas,” Wu said.
Wu also expressed concerns about the manifestation time for the virus as it varies from person to person.
“The virus could take longer to manifest itself in patients with weak immunity and these people are also prone to ‘on’ and ‘off’ symptoms,” Wu also told state TV.
The first known cases of the coronavirus, which were initially thought to be clusters of pneumonia cases, were reported in Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, China on December 31, 2019.
In the weeks that followed, the virus spread to multiple countries. It was declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization in January.
On March 11, 2020, the outbreak was then characterized as a pandemic.
As of Friday morning, China has nearly 83,000 known coronavirus cases. It has been reported that the figure does not include asymptomatic carriers.
