Photo: CFP

Northwest China's Xinjiang region reported one silent novel coronavirus carrier in Urumqi on Friday during regular nucleic acid tests in the city, with emergency response on prevention work already underway. 

The case is an employee at a goods yard in an economic development area in the Toutunhe district and has been hospitalized for treatment.

Close contacts of the case have been placed under quarantine. Epidemiological investigation and disinfection of the yard are on the way. 

A resident in Urumqi surnamed Zhang told Global Times on Friday that the authority of the economic development area has been organizing massive nucleic acid test for local residents since last night. 

This morning, a city-wide nucleic acid test has been launched in Urumqi, according to Zhang. 

On Thursday, local authorities uncovered five instances in which local officials failed to perform their duties in respect to contact-tracing and public health management. The five cases include one where officials at the economic development area in Toutunhe failed to test all residents in routine nucleic acid test on September 28 and October 3.

Prior to the latest case in Urumqi, two silent virus carriers were found in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang on October 3.