(Yicai Global) Jan. 11 -- Chinese genome sequencing firm BGI Genomics, e-commerce giant JD.com’s logistics arm and carmaker Great Wall Motor, among others, are providing testing kits, transportation and funds to help northern Hebei province, which neighbors Beijing, stem an alarming spike in the number of novel coronavirus cases.

The cities of Shijiazhuang and Xingtai were plunged into lockdown yesterday as 364 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the first round of tests of all 13 million residents. Forty new cases were confirmed in the province yesterday, all in Shijiazhuang.

BGI Genomics, which makes Covid-19 testing kits, is actively involved in the testing. It took just one day to set up its Huo-Yan Laboratory, which can process one million samples a day, in Shijiazhuang, Shanghai Securities News reported yesterday. Since Jan. 6, the Shenzhen-based firm has sent 400 employees to the region who helped complete the first round of testing within three days. The second round should start soon.

JD Logistics dispatched 10 vehicles to transport 3,000 cotton tents from the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration’s warehouse in Tianjin some 350 kilometers to Shijiazhuang. Further shipments are expected to be made soon to other areas in the province.

Great Wall Motors, which is based in the stricken province, has donated CNY5 million (CNY771,500) to the Red Cross Society of China’s Hebei branch to buy epidemic prevention and control supplies and other medical consumables.

Editor: Kim Taylor