According to Reuters,

The province of Hubei in China is going to pay residents up to 10,000 yuan (S$1,990.25) for testing positive for the Covid-19 virus after reporting symptoms of it.

Cash rewards to get people to volunteer for medical checks

The city of Qianjiang, which is in the province of Hubei, has seen a total of 197 cases.

It is offering cash rewards to encourage its residents to voluntarily step forward to be screened for Covid-19, reported Reuters.

If a member of the public tests positive for the coronavirus, they will be entitled to a cash reward of 10,000 yuan (S$1,990.25).

Those who are declared as suspected cases will earn 2,000 yuan (S$398.38), while those who test negative for the virus will be given 1,000 yuan (S$199.19).

If a person has been diagnosed with the coronavirus previously, they will not be eligible for the cash reward.

Other cities offer cash rewards too

Qianjiang is not the only Chinese city to offer cash rewards to its residents to encourage voluntary medical screening for the coronavirus, reported Reuters.

In other parts of the country, cash rewards are lower and range from 300 to 500 yuan (S$59.76 to S$99.60).

According to Reuters, China has conveyed to its residents that people who are showing the symptoms of the coronavirus can be tested for free.

Funds have been allocated by the local governments to encourage people to get tested.

As of Feb. 27, the province of Hubei has reported over 65,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and over 2,600 deaths.

Top photo via Xinhua