Harbin, the capital city of China's northernmost Heilongjiang province, will award 10,000 yuan ($1,500.36) to residents who test positive for COVID-19 if they take the initiative to get tested.
 
It's a move to strengthen the city's latest virus prevention and control measures.
 
Harbin has reported one locally confirmed case of COVID-19 and two infected persons on Dec 2 that have had close contact with the confirmed cases in Manzhouli city, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.
 
The government has urged residents to pay close attention to information related to infected persons and report to communities and work units if they have come in contact with infected persons.
 
People should wear a mask and go to the nearest fever clinic as soon as possible if they develop a fever, dry cough, fatigue, and other COVID-19-related symptoms. When seeking diagnosis and treatment, they should avoid taking public transportation and provide their travel and contact history to relevant health authorities.
 
All units and personnel in Harbin should adhere to the pandemic prevention and control measures, refrain from participating in gatherings, avoid concealing the severity of the epidemic, and maintain personal protective measures.