An asymptomatic carrier took her first-day exams for the ongoing National Postgraduate Entrance Examination on Saturday in a quarantine ward in a designated hospital for COVID-19 in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province.

This marked the first time a COVID-19 case took a major academic exam in China, according to Dalian Media Group.

The special ward was equipped with emergency rescue equipment and medication. Two teachers supervised the exams through a monitor in front of a computer outside the ward. Two nurses sealed the examination papers and answer sheets in three layers of disinfected plastic bags before sending them out of the ward.

Among the carrier's close contacts, 21 students also took the exam – in specially arranged rooms.

Though Dalian is at a critical stage for epidemic prevention and control, it has made every effort to ensure all its 34,848 applicants smoothly take the national examination, which lasts until Monday.

Also, 304 test-takers from the city's five sub-districts, which are under closed-off management, took the exam.

The expenses of their designated hotel rooms, food, traffic and nucleic acid testing during the exam period will be covered by the Dalian Jinpu New Area, where the sub-districts, test-taking facilities and hotels are located.

The port city reported four new confirmed COVID-19 cases and two new asymptomatic locally-transferred infections on Saturday.

It has reported 28 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 24 locally-transferred asymptomatic infections as of Saturday, since fresh infections emerged on Dec 15.

The capital city of Liaoning province, Shenyang, reported three confirmed cases and one asymptomatic infection on Saturday. The province now has 34 confirmed patients and 20 asymptomatic carriers in the hospital, according to the Liaoning provincial health commission.

Wu Yong in Shenyang contributed to this story.