Medical workers prepare to take throat swabs from residents for COVID-19 testing at a community in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Tuesday. CHEN YAN/FOR CHINA DAILY

Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, has completed nucleic acid tests for more than 1 million people as of Tuesday since it began a free mass test campaign across the city on July 18, city officials said during a virus control and prevention conference on Wednesday.

"As of Tuesday, the citizens of Tianshan district, a downtown area in Urumqi where the first confirmed case of COVID-19 infection was found, and over 340,000 people in Shaybak district have completed the test," said Shang Yulan, deputy secretary-general of the city's government, adding that the remaining areas are ready and gradually starting testing.

Shang said the regional government dispatched leaders at the regional and city levels to take charge of 24 testing organizations in the citywide campaign.

Urumqi reported nine locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and 14 asymptomatic cases on Tuesday, bringing the total confirmed cases to 62 and asymptomatic cases to 69 in the city since the outbreak of the virus on July 15.

Rui Baoling, head of the city's disease control and prevention center, said the center has implemented a mixed sampling method, which puts the samples from the upper respiratory tracts of five people into one sampling tube for the laboratory test.

"The method was taken in order to further improve the ability and efficiency of the test, and during the test, we will pay special attention to the registration of personal information," Rui said.

Rui said if a positive result is found in the mixed sample, the center will quickly find the group of five people for resampling and screening.

Meanwhile, to ensure the smooth and orderly supply of daily needs, Urumqi has set up more than 2,000 temporary food and service centers for people who have had to stay at home.

"We will purchase whatever the residents need," said Adil Abduraxt, deputy director of a residential community in Tianshan district.

New case in Dalian

Also on Wednesday, Dalian, a coastal city in Liaoning province, reported a locally transmitted COVID-19 case, according to China Central Television.

The patient, surnamed Shi, 58, is an employee of a seafood processing company in the city who lives alone in Xigang district. He developed symptoms including fever and fatigue on July 16 and went to hospital for treatment on Tuesday. He tested positive on Wednesday morning and was sent to a hospital designated to treat COVID-19 cases. All of his close contacts have been quarantined.