China Imposes Lockdown In Western City Of Xi'an To Contain Spread Of COVID

Beijing: In a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19, China has decided to impose a lockdown in the Western city of Xi,an on December 23 and it happens to be the country's biggest move since the pandemic began last year.

Xi'an has a massive population of 13 million residents and they have been ordered to stay inside their homes.

Only a single individual per household is permitted to go out for purchasing their essential commodities, that too in alternative days. This decision has triggered tussles over access to basic items like food.

Also, the authorities have prohibited non-essential travel out of the city. 

These decisions comes in the wake of second round of mass testing which detected a total of 127 COVID infections scattered across 14 districts.

It makes the containment of the virus grave and complicated according to reports by Xinhua News Agency.

The surge in COVID cases poses a huge challenge to China especially at a time of increased holiday travel and preparation for the winter Olympic Games.

Due to the upcoming Winter Olympic Games, China will face an influx of athletes and their entourages in February. Hence, it is very crucial for Beijing to manage this grand event with utmost care.

It is to be noted that the delta variant is the primary source of the vast majority of the infections. 

The preparations for containing the more infectious strain, the Omicron strain is underway. It is believed that this latest strain can evade immunity from vaccination or previous infection.

The vice-premier of China, Sun Chunlan called for swift measures in order to contain the spread of infections.

The vice-premier also stressed the significance of tightening restrictions on the movement of people to prevent large gatherings in key areas.

 Sun Chunlan is a member of the 25-member Politburo making her one of China's most senior officials.

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