China's Qingdao to test its more than 9 million residents for COVID-19

Qingdao, a city in China, is reportedly testing the whole of its 9.5 million residents for COVID-19 on the heels of recording the country's first locally transmitted cases in a span of nearly two months.

Authorities reported that a dozen individuals in the city tested positive as of Sunday, according to the New York Times. 

The outlet reported that officials said the coronavirus cases seemed to be connected with Qingdao Chest Hospital, a facility involved in treating individuals who test positive in China after entering from outside of the country. 

The National Health Commission in Beijing reportedly communicated on Monday that it had deployed a group to the city to "guide local epidemic prevention and control work."

Authorities in the city have already commenced a testing effort and at least a single government notice characterized such examinations as required, according to the Times.

China has not reported any local transmissions since the month of August, chalking all instances of the virus up to returned travelers engaged in quarantine, the outlet said, noting that asymptomatic individuals are not counted as confirmed instances of the illness.