Aug 23, 2021 - Health

China reports no new local COVID cases

Yacob Reyes

Local residents stand inside social distancing circles as they wait in a line for nucleic acid testing on Aug. 21. Photo by Wu Yongbing/VCG via Getty Images

China has reported no new local coronavirus cases after a month of surging infections, the country's National Health Commission (NHC) reported Monday.

Why it matters: In July, a cluster of infections was identified that eventually spread to 1,200 people. China then implemented even stronger mitigation measures and widespread testing in an attempt to eradicate the virus in the country, CNN reports. The NHC reported 21 imported cases of COVID-19.

There are currently 212,128,476 confirmed cases of COVID globally.

The big picture: Nearly 100 million tests were administered in the country, according to Bloomberg. Local authorities routinely checked their populations to ensure each infection was identified.

China had also sealed off its capital from places that had reported a single case, as well as cutting off trains and flights from hotspot areas across the country.

Go deeper: Chinese authorities plan stricter approach to COVID-19 for Beijing Games

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China reports no new local COVID cases

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