Lockdown in China, again!

Once again China locked down the western city of the country, Xi’an on Thursday, eradicating the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. This is China’s biggest move since the Wuhan pandemic, underscoring how few zero-tolerance approaches have existed in China since   appeared two years ago. Xi’an’s 13 million residents have been ordered to stay home and go out once every two days to find essentials that have sparked conflicts over food security. Unnecessary travel was banned in the city.

 According to Xinhua, in the second large-scale test of people, 127 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in 14 districts, making containment of the virus  “serious and difficult”.

 A growing number of cases show that China is struggling to prepare for the Winter Olympics and increase leisure travel. Athletes and assistants will participate in the Winter Olympics in February. Most infections are due to the delta type that spread over most of the world in the summer and fall.

 Countries are preparing to prevent from a more contagious omicron strain that has been shown to counter immunization and vaccination against previous infections. According to the report, Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chun-lang called for “quick” measures to contain the spread of the virus. According to Xinhua, Sun was a member of Politburo 25 and named her one of China’s top leaders. He also stressed the importance of tightening restrictions on people’s movement to prevent large crowds in important areas. Cases of omicron mutations have not been reported in Xi’an, but city officials have made it difficult for 13 million residents to leave their homes and cities.

 According to Reuters, the outbreak in Xi’an has resulted in a steady increase of 4,444 confirmed cases for the sixth day in a row. However, people leaving the city must test negative for the disease and obtain permission from their employer or local government before leaving the country.

 Authorities have cancelled all domestic flights to and from Xi’an scheduled for Thursday. China’s zero-tolerance approach aims to end the virus by eliminating cases. According to media reports, Chinese authorities have so far controlled outbreaks in the region within a month through measures such as mass inspections and strict quarantine measures in cities and towns. 

According to Reuters, China reported at least nine such outbreaks in 2021. The first outbreak was reported in northern China in early January, followed by an outbreak in Yunnan from March to April. An outbreak was reported in Guangdong in May, and another outbreak was witnessed in Yunnan in April.

Jiangsu and Fujian occurred in August and September, respectively, and in northern China in October. Another outbreak was seen in November in Zhejiang Province, China, before the outbreak in Xi’an. Xi’an has registered 63 cases so far, Reuters reported, citing the National Health Commission.

According to the Chinese government, China recorded symptomatic cases in 71 regions on Wednesday. There are 100,644 confirmed cases in China, with deaths reaching 4,636.

Long battle

 

The blockade of Xi’an is the latest escalation in China’s efforts to wipe out local delta variant infections, as it is the only country in the world still eager to eliminate the virus and eliminate cases. The city cancelled all domestic flights on Thursday to prevent the Xian infection from spreading to other areas, local media reported in a newspaper.

Throughout the pandemic, authorities were able to eradicate the outbreak in about a month through mass testing, aggressive contact tracing, and targeted bans.

But as new strains of the virus become more contagious, more and more devastating measures are needed to contain the outbreak, putting pressure on the world’s second-largest economy. More than two months have passed since there were no new cases of local covid in China.

 Municipalities have used targeted blockades in the past to delay outbreaks in smaller parts of China, but since Wuhan in early 2020, large cities have not been placed under extensive regulation. Hmm. It has the same population size as Xi’an. 

Beijing officials confirmed on Thursday that the Winter Olympics, scheduled to begin in early February, would inevitably lead to a Covid infection.

They urged all participants to receive booster immunization to protect themselves from viruses, especially those caused by immunodestructive variants of Omicron.

Spread of secret

The eruption of the city, the capital of many ancient Chinese dynasties known as Terracotta Warriors, began with an escape from Pakistan. A  quarantine hotel cleaner was infected two weeks ago after disinfecting a traveller’s room that tested positive when he arrived in China. The virus quickly spread to employees, but another route of transmission may have brought the virus from the airport to the community. Many of the early cases were caused by Delta subtypes.

However, the subsequent spread of the virus has not been fully explained and can spread secretly throughout the city, causing a thorough blockade to contain it. As of Thursday, more than 200 cases have been confirmed. The number of infections remains low, but the fact that they are scattered in 14 districts of the city shows how difficult it is to contain the outbreak.

Authorities have not yet identified some transmission chains, and the city has begun the third round of mass testing in hopes of discovering them. Additional cases have been found in two other cities in  Shaanxi Province, whose capital is Xian. Infections also occurred at the Dongguan Manufacturing Center in Beijing and southern China, and 20 cases associated with the outbreak in Xi’an were found. Some people on Chinese social media have described this outbreak as the worst city ever seen. A video posted online shows people hoarding for a blockade in a supermarket fighting for groceries and other necessities.

Entrance examination

 The outbreak occurs as the city holds a graduate entrance exam for about 135,000 people this weekend. Some people are told to be tested in other cities or states, while those who are infected or identified as close associates are tested in quarantine. Since then, China has discovered four Omicron infections in returnees from abroad. We have not yet seen a much more contagious tribe spread to the community. Authorities are aware of the increased risk of transmission from abroad and have pledged to tighten restrictions on borders and ports.

The Chinese government announced a puncture down in Xi’an on Thursday to contain the local Covid 19 outbreak. Taking a zero-tolerance approach, China has urged 13 million residents of Xi’an to stay home and urged citizens to nominate people to provide the supplies they need for their households.

Though no cases of  Omicron mutation have been reported in Xi’an, but city officials have made it difficult for 13 million residents to leave their homes and cities. The outbreak in Xi’an has led to a steady surge in cases  for six consecutive days since December 17, Reuters reported. However, those who leave the city will test negative for illness and must obtain permission from their employer or local government before leaving the country.

edited and proofread by nikita sharma