NORTH CHINA’S Hebei Province reported 82 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and 49 asymptomatic cases Sunday, the provincial health commission said yesterday.

Of the confirmed cases, 77 were reported in the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, and the other five in the city of Xingtai. Among them, 27 were previously asymptomatic carriers.

All of the new asymptomatic cases were reported in Shijiazhuang.

Shijiazhuang reported 16 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and five asymptomatic cases from 12 a.m. to 12 p.m. yesterday.

The new round of COVID-19 outbreak in Hebei has not yet reached a turning point and the risk of further spread remains, said local authorities Sunday.

The province has completed nucleic acid tests on all residents in the provincial capital Shijiazhuang and the city of Xingtai, where the recent cases were reported. All positive cases have been transferred to designated hospitals.

About 25,000 couriers are returning to work to supply daily necessities to stay-at-home residents in Shijiazhuang.

All residents in the city have been told to stay at home to minimize infection risks, while local authorities said efforts had been beefed up to ensure the supply of daily necessities.

Authorities also said they have arranged 59 supermarkets and over 300 convenience stores in the city proper to directly supply the over 2,000 residential complexes. A total of 70 supermarkets have answered the government’s call by promising not to raise vegetable prices.

Also, Shijiazhuang has taken a raft of measures to ensure heating, gas and water supply as residents observe home quarantine.

The city’s heating supply center said supply to residents has been increased during the epidemic to ensure no noticeable drop in room temperatures in houses.

The main water supplier in Shijiazhuang also said it would start 24-hour monitoring of the city’s water pressure and step up quality checks.

The city’s gas center said it had negotiated with suppliers to ensure adequate supply.

To prevent accidents, inspectors would use infrared devices to check household gas facilities without the need to enter homes, the center said. (Xinhua)