A CNPC logo seen in Shanghai File photo: VCG

The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) requested its Beijing-based units conduct nucleic acid testing for all employees immediately, after 111 employees attended meetings in Beijing sharing a conference room with a confirmed COVID-19 case, an official from the CNPC said at a press conference addressing epidemic prevention and control on Thursday.

As of Thursday, four employees have tested positive, one of whom is related to the four infections amongst a family in the Haidian district, Beijing. CNPC's Beijing company has declared an emergency.

Liu Shengyao, deputy director of the Integrated Management Department of the CNPC, said that the confirmed case from northeastern Jilin Province arrived in Beijing on October 20 and attended audit meetings for the refining and chemical branch from November 2-5. 

Following further investigation, a total of 111 people were found to have attended the meetings together with the infected individual.

Liu said that alongside nucleic acid testing of employees for Beijing-based units, the company will strengthen management for its offices and personnel, deploying strict environmental testing and disinfection protocols. 

The company asked its employees to continue to work as usual and cooperate with the investigation, while those employees who had left the Beijing building were asked to work at home for a 7-day quarantine period, so as to ensure the normal production and operation of oil and gas supplies are not impacted.

Moreover, the CNPC will suspend meetings and offline training courses in Beijing in order to cooperate with the city's disease control departments to strengthen measures against sporadic flare-ups in Beijing. 

Global Times