A medical worker takes a swab sample from a citizen for a nucleic acid test at a testing site in Shinan district, Qingdao. [Photo by Yao Xiangmin/Guanhai News]

Shinan district in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, started district-wide nucleic acid testing on March 15, as local COVID-19 cases have been reported recently, local authorities said.

The district has set up 116 testing sites with 309 sample collection spots. A total of 754 medical workers and hundreds of government officials, community workers and volunteers have been working to ensure that the testing goes smoothly and efficiently.

The volunteers arrive on duty every day at 7 am, an hour before the testing starts. They set up isolating strips, maintain order, check people's health QR codes, take their temperature, help them register information, sort out collected samples and disinfect the testing sites regularly.

A local resident surnamed Wang and her son pose for a photo with stickers featuring Zhanshan subdistrict's mascots Zhanzhan and Shanshan, after receiving nucleic acid tests. [Photo/WeChat account: qdweishinan]

Community workers visited each household to learn about residents' needs and informed them about their exact testing time so that they would not have to line up for a long time. The workers also send testing requirements to residents through messages and WeChat groups to ensure the stable flow at each testing site.

In addition, subdistricts including Zhanshan and Zhongshanlu have issued stickers featuring local characteristics to people who have received a testing, which have proved popular.