The central Chinese city of Wuhan, previously hard hit by the novel coronavirus, has reported 300 asymptomatic cases out of 9,899,828 local residents who participated in a citywide nucleic acid test.

Wuhan authorities said the city had a comprehensive understanding of its epidemic situation and the test results have built a foundation for the city's work and school resumption.

"The mass testing has gained Wuhan people's relief," said Hu Yabo, a deputy mayor of Wuhan.

The result reassured those still living in fear across Wuhan, months after the coronavirus claimed over 3,869 lives. The testing also served as a precaution against a second wave, since a small cluster of infections reemerged in mid-May, ending a month-long record of zero new cases.

Health authorities adopted a method known as "pool testing" to speed up the process. Lab testers pooled a number of samples from different people and tested them in one tube. A negative result of a pooled sample means the batch can be cleared, but a positive means extra tests should be carried out on each individual.

(Li Jian, Fang Zhou and Bai Shuang also contributed to the story.)