The city of Shenyang in northeast China's Liaoning Province has launched a free citywide nucleic acid testing campaign amid a new COVID-19 outbreak.

The testing began on Thursday and will continue for five days to test all city residents, said authorities.

People who live in medium-risk areas for COVID-19 are not permitted to leave the city. Meanwhile, those who live in other sections of the city with plans to travel must provide a negative nucleic acid test result from an examination done within 72 hours of departure.