Central Chinese city Xi’anof 13 million residents, today imposed strict movement restrictions for a week after the detection of COVID-19 infections associated with the BA.5.2 omicron variant of the virus. coronavirus.
On Wednesday, health authorities reported more than 300 cases, with an outbreak in the northern city of Xi’an, home to the Terracotta Warriors, and in Shanghai, the country’s largest city.
panorama in shanghai
In Shanghai, some residents reported on social media Tuesday that they had received food rations from the government, as happened several months ago with a lengthy sanitary detention.
“I’ll tell you a scary story: Putuo District is sending vegetables again,” a resident wrote on WeChat.
“I am so nervous, the epidemic has destroyed my youth. I will go crazy,” another user from Shanghai wrote on Weibo.
Authorities have begun a new round of mass testing in half of Shanghai’s districts after a spike in cases since the weekend. On Wednesday, karaoke bars were closed after the discovery of some infections originating from these sites.
And Xi’an, a historic city of 13 million that went through a month-long lockdown late last year, has been placed under “interim control measures” after 29 infections were found since Saturday.
Public entertainment venues, including pubs, internet cafes and karaoke bars, have been closed since midnight Wednesday, the local government said in a notice.
State media showed footage of Xi’an residents queuing for tests after midnight Tuesday, insisting the city was not under lockdown.
Authorities have linked the outbreak in the city to the omicron BA.5.2 subvariant, which is more contagious and evades immunity.
“All positive cases are in the BA.5.2 branch of the omicron variant, and epidemiological tracing is underway,” Ma Chaofent from the Xi’an Department of Health said at a press conference.
The new cases are a concern for President Xi Jinping, who last week reaffirmed his commitment to China’s COVID-19 policy despite mounting economic losses.
numbers
The National Health Commission clarified today that the total number of active symptomatic infections in mainland China is 724 people, one of whom is in serious condition.
The agency estimates that 226,176 people have been infected in the country since the start of the pandemic, of which 220,226 have recovered and 5,226 have died, although the total does not include those who are asymptomatic.
To date, more than 4.2 million close contacts with infected people are under medical observation, of which 62,254 remain under observation.
(According to AFP and EFE)
Source: RPP
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