Police Investigate Private Lab That Reported Incorrect Covid Test Results

What’s new: A coronavirus testing company hired by a local government in the stricken northern Chinese province of Hebei told authorities that all samples were negative despite not having finished the work, leading to delays in diagnosing Covid-19 cases.

According to the Longyao county government, the private laboratory based in Jinan, the capital of eastern China’s Shandong province, told authorities on Thursday that all 315,000 tests conducted on the local population had come back negative.

But on Saturday, it reversed course, telling officials that certain “mixed” samples had produced positive results. A company representative admitted to making the initial report before the work was completed, the county government said (link in Chinese). The representative has been detained pending further investigation.

Further tests showed that three people who provided “mixed” samples had contracted the virus. Two are displaying Covid-19 symptoms and one is asymptomatic, according to the county government.

The background: Authorities in Hebei have locked down cities and stepped up disease control measures amid one of China’s worst Covid-19 resurgences in months.

The province, which surrounds the capital Beijing, confirmed (link in Chinese) 54 new cases on Monday, 18 fewer than the previous day.

Contact reporter Matthew Walsh (matthewwalsh@caixin.com) and editor Marcus Ryder (marcusryder@caixin.com)

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