Residents line to take nucleic acid tests in Debao county, Baise, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on February 6, 2022. Photo: VCG

Baise in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region announced a lockdown of the city starting on Monday after 98 people tested positive for COVID-19 in a preliminary screening test carried out on Sunday. Previously, the city reported 43 confirmed cases, local authorities said. 

The first round of large-scale nucleic acid test involved over 200,000 local residents. A total of 98 tests returned with positive results and 87 have been reexamined. 

Baise, with a population of 4 million people, detected the first confirmed case on Saturday on a patient that had returned from Shenzhen. The city immediately launched an emergency response mechanism, locking down city transport and banning all vehicles and personnel from entering and exiting. 

Parts of the city's Debao county, where the most cases were reported, have been placed under high- and medium-risk levels, officials said on Sunday evening. 

Nearby Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province, home to 15 million people, announced on Sunday the suspension of all bus routes from Baise.