New coronavirus cluster in China; 9 million to be tested in 5 days

China reported a new cluster of coronavirus infections in the eastern port city of Qingdao, snapping a streak of over two months without local transmission, underscoring the risk of resurgence in countries that have achieved near-eradication of the pathogen.

The city in Shandong province said on Sunday that it found three asymptomatic cases linked to a hospital which treats Covid-19 patients coming from abroad. Expanded testing of hospital patients and staff then found another nine infections —of the total of 12 in the cluster so far, six are asymptomatic. More testing is underway and aims to cover the entire city of 9.5 million within five days, the local health commission said on Monday.
 

The cluster has now become China’s biggest in months, reflecting the difficulty of stamping out the coronavirus in any one country when outbreaks are still spreading rapidly.