Objective  To analyze the characteristics of cluster epidemic of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Guizhou province for providing references for prevention and control of the disease.

  Methods  From Public Health Emergency Management Information System, we collected the data on all COVID-19 cases reported in Guizhou province from January 21, the day of first case report, through March 10, 2020. Descriptive statistics was conducted to analyze the data and the information collected with case surveys on the reported cases.

  Results  Among the 171 COVID-19 cases reported during the period, totally 29 cluster epidemics were identified, of them 26 (89.66%) occurred between January 28 and February 8, 2020; the 29 cluster epidemics involved 127 cases, accounting for 74.27% of all the reported cases. All the cluster epidemics occurred in family settings and 54.33% (69) of the cluster cases were second-generation incidences, with a secondary attack rate of 12.32% and a mean serial interval of 6.37 ± 4.15 days. The cluster epidemics distributed in nine cities/prefectures across the province and 51.72% of the clusters occurred in the capital city (Guiyang) and another major city of the province. For the majority of the cluster epidemics, the number of the cases was 2 in each cluster but there was a cluster epidemic involving 15 cases. There were cluster epidemics caused by exposures to the cases in latent period or to asymptomatic cases.

  Conclusion  The COVID-19 cluster epidemics mainly occurred in family settings in Guizhou province and the main route of transmission was dining together. Early diagnosis and isolation of the wof COVID-19 cases are important for the containment of the epidemic.