SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) – The IBC Mall in Shenzhen’s Luohu district was sealed off and under police supervision on Friday evening, with around 200 people queuing outside waiting for COVID-19 tests from medical personnel in protective suits.
An official Guangdong Health Commission WeChat account channel said the alert was prompted by a suspected COVID-19 case involving a 41-year-old staff member of the Alibaba-owned supermarket Freshippo.
Alibaba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The staff member was diagnosed in her home city of Lufeng, in Guangdong, the commission said. Three of her family members also tested positive.
An outbreak in the city of Urumqi in the far western region of Xinjiang in July was thought to have originated with a mall worker.
On Monday, Shenzhen authorities announced three Chinese citizens returning to the southern city from Russia had tested positive for the virus while in quarantine.
(Reporting by David Kirton; Editing by Alex Richardson)
