Sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in China as Xian struggles to contain virus
- The northwestern city saw 155 locally confirmed cases, with 3 in the rest of the country – almost double the previous day’s total
- The city went into lockdown last week and has introduced measures to stop people hoarding food and other necessities and to stop retailers raising prices
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The caseload includes 155 in Xian, two in the neighbouring city of Xianyang and one in the southern region of Guangxi.
Calling on the public not to panic, authorities in Xian said on Sunday that the number of cases would probably continue to be high in the next few days.
The capital of Shaanxi province, best known as the home of the terracotta warriors, has reported a total of 485 locally confirmed cases since December 9.
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New Covid-19 lockdown imposed on Chinese city of Xian, home to famed terracotta warriors
The public health authorities have so far been unable to establish a clear chain of transmission for some cases.
The city has introduced measures to stop people hoarding food and other necessities and to stop retailers from ramping up prices during lockdown.
Authorities said the city would ensure the public, especially the elderly, the disabled and the sick, had access to daily necessities during the lockdown, and was working with local organisations to assess people’s needs.
Starting at 6pm on Sunday, the entire city would be disinfected, the government said, advising the public to close windows and bring essential items indoors.
Amid the lockdown, more than 13,000 applicants sat the annual national graduate school entrance exam in Xian on Saturday.
According to media reports, the government sent taxis to pick up students in restricted areas, while other students needed to show two nucleic test results taken in the previous 48 hours to take the test.
A special testing area was set up at a chest hospital to enable one Covid-19 patient at the centre to take the exam.
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Zhang Boli, a Covid-19 specialist and president of the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said in an interview with the state media on Sunday that Xian was expected to contain the outbreak within a month.
“We have to be on high guard against the virus ... I believe it is very likely the infections will be cut in the middle of January and come under control in late January,” Zhang said.
Faced with the threat of the Omicron variant, China has rolled out more stringent quarantine and border control rules and once again stressed the general policy of “dynamic zero infection”.
NHC spokesman Mi Feng has said the policy should continue through the winter and spring, but urged authorities to avoid a “one size fits all” approach, so as to reduce disruptions to people’s lives.
Elsewhere, the southwestern province of Yunnan has ordered tourist agencies to stop tours within the province and visitors travelling from other parts of the country.
The order follows four confirmed cases in the capital Kunming on Friday.
