GUANGZHOU - One local asymptomatic COVID-19 case reported in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province, Friday should be treated as a close contact of an imported COVID-19 case in the city, local health authorities said on Oct 17.

According to the epidemiological investigation by the Guangzhou municipal health commission, the asymptomatic individual worked in a hotel in Huadu District of Guangzhou, where overseas arrivals undergo concentrated quarantine. The individual failed to meet the epidemic protection requirements when handling packages mailed to inbound travelers under quarantine in the hotel on Oct 12.

The individual tested positive for the novel coronavirus Thursday in a routine nucleic acid testing of hotel staff. He was immediately sent to Huadu District People's Hospital of Guangzhou for isolation and observation, where he tested positive again. On Friday, he was transferred to Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital for isolation and treatment.

Currently, the infected individual has shown no signs of fever, cough or other symptoms, and no abnormal evidence has been found through CT examination.

By Saturday, the hotel dormitory and other places that the man had visited had been disinfected. A total of 170 close contacts were screened, and the nucleic acid test results were all negative. Another 136 close contacts of the 170 people have been identified, and their nucleic acid test results were all negative too. All of the 306 people remain under quarantine and medical observation.