Covid explosion: new restrictions in the Chinese city of Xi'an

The Chinese city of Xi'an promised on Monday to impose the "strictest" measures in the face of the epidemic risk, after the detection of several hundred cases of Covid in the metropolis in confinement.

The 13 million residents of the city famous for the underground army of China's first emperor have been forced to stay at home since Thursday, with the right to go out only once every three days for refueling.

But while the city on Monday reported 150 additional cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to around 650 since December 9, authorities have imposed a ban on driving private vehicles.

Only motorists involved in the fight against the epidemic have the right to drive, said the town hall in a message posted on social networks.

Offenders may be imprisoned for 10 days

The police "will strictly control" the vehicles and violators will be liable to 10 days of detention and a fine of 500 yuan (70 euros).

If China has largely succeeded in controlling the epidemic a few months after its appearance in the country at the end of 2019, sporadic outbreaks threaten the health victory claimed by the communist regime with the help of an arsenal of radical measures (containment, electronic control displacement, virtual border closures, massive screening, vaccination).

The outbreak detected in Xi'an thus raised the daily national toll on Sunday to a record since March 2020, with a total of 206 contaminations.

#China 🇨🇳 City of 13 million Xi'an in quarantine for 3 days, launches city-wide disinfection as # Covid19 cases continue to rise (Video: 北京 头条)

spike. twitter.com/BFYwVlNAOl

- AsiaNews (@AsiaNews_FR) December 27, 2021

This official toll is not commensurate with the daily tally announced in most countries around the world, but Chinese authorities are on edge as the Beijing Olympics approach, which begins in less than 40 days.

Last week, organizers said they were sure they would have to deal with cases of contamination among the thousands of foreigners expected for the sporting event.

Prohibition to leave the city

In Xi'an, the authorities have already launched several screening campaigns since Thursday and placed nearly 30,000 people in quarantine in hotels provided for this purpose.

It is forbidden to enter or leave the city.

All non-essential businesses have been closed and municipal officials accused of incompetence in the face of the epidemic risk have been sanctioned.

Officially, the toll of the epidemic in China for two years has barely exceeded 100,000 cases of contamination, including 4,636 fatalities.