For the seventh day,, 13 million residents of the Chinese city of Xi'an are currently on lockdown,, with many not allowed to leave their homes and relying on deliveries of essential supplies as new COVID-19 infections persist.
Xi'an yesterday recorded 151 locally transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms,, or nearly all of the 152 cases nationwide, bringing the total number of local cases in Xi'an to nearly 1,000 in the period 9-28 December. No cases of the Omicron variant have so far been reported in the city.
While the outbreak in Xi'an is small compared to outbreaks in many other parts of the world, authorities have imposed strict restrictions on travel in and out of the city since December 23, conforming to Beijing's policy of immediately containing an outbreak.
Residents are not allowed to leave the city without permission from their employers or township authorities.
A 32-year-old engineer went to Xi'an for business and planned to depart last week, until he found he had to stay there for much longer as local officials refused to give him the necessary certificate to allow him to leave. This means he missed his wife's birthday and may have to spend New Year's Day in Xi'an. "I just want to go home," he told Reuters, wishing to remain anonymous."
As of Monday, the Xi'an government has suspended granting permits to those who want to leave their homes to buy necessities. According to city authorities, shopping at physical stores may be allowed again in lower-risk areas if mass diagnostic tests show negative results, but it is unclear when the mandatory stay-at-home measure will be lifted.
The measure has prompted complaints on social media from some residents as it is uncertain when they will be able to get fresh produce.
Local authorities in several areas of Xi'an have begun planning to distribute needed supplies to residents' homes, or set up temporary kiosks at large housing complexes selling fresh produce.
Authorities today began another round of citywide diagnostic tests, the fifth since December 21. The number of infections detected by the mass tests began to decline in the fourth cycle, while numbers in the first three were up, a local official said today.
Source: AP-MPA
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