A medical worker collects a throat swab sample from a woman to test for COVID-19 at Ruili People's Hospital in Yunnan province on Sept 14, 2020. (YANG XUEMEI / FOR CHINA DAILY)

BEIJING/KUNMING - The city of Ruili in southwest China's Yunnan province on Wednesday launched a city-wide nucleic acid testing for COVID-19 after new cases were reported.

According to the city's epidemic prevention and control headquarters, starting from 8 am Wednesday, all residents in the urban areas will be quarantined at home for a week. During the period, all business premises except supermarkets, pharmacies and farm produce markets will be closed.

Starting from 8 am Wednesday, all residents in the urban areas in the city of Ruili will be quarantined at home for a week

Ruili found one positive case during regular COVID-19 testing among high-risk groups on March 29, and another eight positive cases in the following tracing. After further testing, six were diagnosed as confirmed cases and three as asymptomatic, said the provincial health committee.

The tracing and testing of their close contacts are underway.  

Mainland reports 6 new local cases

The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported six new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said Wednesday.

There were also five newly reported imported cases, two of whom were in Guangdong, and one each in Fujian, Henan and Shaanxi, the commission said in its daily report.

One new suspected COVID-19 case arriving from outside the mainland was reported in Inner Mongolia, bringing the total number of suspected cases to three.

No additional deaths related to COVID-19 were reported, the commission said.

This photo taken on March 28, 2021 shows teachers and students getting vaccinated against COVID-19 at East China Normal University's Minhang campus stadium in Shanghai. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Another four COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery, the commission said, adding that there were 180 patients still receiving treatment, two of whom were in severe condition.

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By the end of Tuesday, a total of 5,290 imported cases had been reported on the mainland with no deaths.

In total, the mainland had reported 90,201 confirmed cases by Tuesday, including 85,385 recoveries and 4,636 deaths.

Tuesday also saw eight newly reported asymptomatic cases while two asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases. 

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By the end of Tuesday, 11,461 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 205 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 48 in the Macao SAR, and 1,024 cases, including 10 deaths, in Taiwan.

A total of 11,085 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, 48 in the Macao SAR, and 981 in Taiwan.