SHIJIAZHUANG, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Shijiazhuang, the capital city of north China's Hebei Province, will be locked down for seven days to curb the COVID-19 epidemic spread, announced local authorities on Friday evening.

After completing the citywide acid testing, all Shijiazhuang citizens are called to stay at home, and local authorities will endeavor to ensure their daily life, said the municipal COVID-19 prevention and control headquarters.

Shijiazhuang has completed the citywide sampling on Friday evening, and the nucleic acid testing works will be completed on Saturday morning, said the headquarters.

From last Saturday to 10 a.m. Friday, Hebei reported 127 new locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The worst-hit Gaocheng District in Shijiazhuang has been classified as a high-risk area for COVID-19, and another 17 areas in Shijiazhuang and Xingtai have been classified as medium-risk areas as of Friday.

Residents in Shijiazhuang and Xingtai have been advised against non-essential outbound trips, and long-distance passenger vehicles in the two cities have also been suspended.