People line up at a testing site where medical workers in protective suits collect swabs for nucleic acid tests, after new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were confirmed in Dalian, Liaoning province, China July 24, 2020. (File photo: China Daily)

DALIAN, July 27 (Xinhua) -- A total of 1.68 million people have been sampled for nucleic acid tests in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, since the city began large-scale testing on Sunday following reports of new COVID-19 cases.

On Sunday alone, more than 1.25 million samples were collected in the city.

According to Zhao Lian, deputy director of the municipal health commission, 6,145 medics have been mobilized to conduct nucleic acid tests at 1,928 test sites across the city, after new domestically-transmitted COVID-19 cases began to emerge in the city on July 22.

Dalian reported 14 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing its total new domestically-transmitted cases to 38 since July 22.

The city had asked residents to refrain from leaving the city. Those who have to leave have been advised to carry proof of negative nucleic acid test results, conducted within seven days.