China determined this Tuesday (28) the lockdown of hundreds of thousands of people to contain an outbreak of Covid-19, tiny in comparison with the numbers of contagions registered in European countries and the United States.
There were about 200 cases registered in 24 hours across the country, a low number compared to the rest of the world, but a record in China since March 2020. It is the fourth consecutive day of increase, with the majority of infections reported by Xian, a northwestern city that put its 13 million people under blockade six days ago.
This Tuesday (28), the regime decreed that residents of a nearby city, Yanan (north), must also stay at home.
The restrictions imposed in Xian – residents are prohibited from driving their cars and only one person from each household can go out every three days to buy food – have prompted many calls to social services with orders for food and other basic products.
“I’m about to starve to death,” wrote one person on the Weibo social network. “There is no food, in my residential area they don’t let me out and I’m almost out of instant soup, please help”, he added.
The city has suspended long-distance bus services and banned taxi or rental car travel outside the city’s boundaries, deploying police officers at highway exits to deter travel that authorities deem unnecessary. Those wishing to leave must have a negative test before departure and obtain authorization from employers or community authorities.
Covid Zero
Since the containment of the first wave of coronavirus, which was detected in late 2019 in Wuhan, China has applied a virus eradication strategy that includes closing borders and severe restrictions to cut off the spread in any outbreak.
Xian reported 175 symptomatic cases on Monday, up from 150 the day before. No Omicron infections have yet been announced of the more than 800 confirmed cases in Xian as of December 9th.
Zhang Boli, who advised the Chinese government on formulating initial COVID-19 response and treatment strategies, told state media earlier this month that Xian could contain the outbreak by mid-January.
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