China's virus centre vows no patient unchecked as cases fall

Protective suit-clad inspectors in the epicentre of China's viral outbreak went door-to-door on Wednesday to find every infected person in the central city suffering most from an epidemic that is showing signs of waning as new cases fell for a second day.

Wuhan, where the new form of coronavirus emerged, is on the final day of a campaign to root out anyone with symptoms whom authorities may have missed so far.

"This must be taken seriously," said Wang Zhonglin, the city's newly minted Communist Party secretary. If a single new case is found (after Wednesday), the district leaders will be held responsible."

His remarks were published on Hubei's provincial website, alongside the declaration, If the masses cannot mobilize, it's impossible to fight a people's war.

Mainland China reported on Wednesday 1,749 new cases and 136 additional deaths. While the overall spread of the COVID-19 illness has been slowing, the situation remains severe in Hubei province, which has Wuhan as its ...