ToplineChinese authorities announced Tuesday that they would administer Covid-19 testing to all 12,000,000 Wuhan residents. This is Wuhan where the first Covid-19 cases were reported.A medical worker takes a sample of the throat from a teacher to test for nucleic acids at a primary school in Wuhan, Hubei Province. VCG via Getty ImagesThe Key FactsReuters reported that authorities in Wuhan confirmed three new cases of the delta variant Covid-19 on Monday. These were the first cases since May last year. An official from the city said that citywide testing was being carried out to screen for any symptomatic infections and ensure safety. China also detected new infections in nearby Jingzhou, Huanggang and Wuhan. All of these have been linked with cases in China's Jiangsu Province. According to reports, the Jiangsu outbreak was caused by the delta variant. This variant is thought to have been brought in from Russia by an infected passenger.Big Number414 This is the total number reported by China for locally acquired Covid-19 infections since July 20, when first cases in Jiangsu were discovered. It is not clear if all these cases are of the delta variant infection.Important BackgroundOn Tuesday, the Chinese National Health Commission (NHC), reported 90 confirmed Covid-19 cases. 61 of these were locally acquired. China has reported 4,636 deaths and 93,193 Covid-19-related cases since the outbreak in Wuhan in late 2019. To stop the spread of the virus within the country, authorities in China used large-scale testing and strict lockdowns. The more contagious variant of the virus, known as the delta variant, is likely to put a serious test to China's zero Covid strategy. It may even force authorities to re-initiate lockdowns. China's economy, which experienced slower growth than expected in the April-June quarter, will be further affected by the emergence of the more contagious virus.Section TitleChina's Wuhan will test 12 million residents following the discovery of the Delta variant (Reuters).China's economy is losing steam, but the Delta variant takes on China (Reuters)China's economic growth slows to 7.9% (Associated Press).Live updates and coverage of the Coronavirus
