Northwestern city of Xi'an under lockdown to fight COVID-19 outbreak

Imaginechina

The ancient city of Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, has been under lockdown to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic as community transmission has begun.

The city has reported 143 confirmed cases as of Wednesday.

All communities and villages in the city should implement closed-loop management. Every household can designate one person to go out every two days to purchase supplies at designated places within communities.

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The city carried out a second round of citywide nucleic acid testing on Monday and Tuesday and has found 127 positive results. A third round will start today.

Checkpoints have been set up at the city's major intercity and provincial as well as highway entries to persuade those who want to leave the city to turn back.

For those who have essential reasons to leave the city, they are required to provide negative results of nucleic acid testing within 48 hours and apply for a permit from their workplace or from their subdistrict offices.

Gene sequencing has confirmed that the outbreak was caused by the Delta variant of COVID-19.

The city government said there will be enough staple food, cooking oil, vegetable, eggs and dairy products supplies delivered to every closed-off community.

Assistance will be given to those who need medical care from local hospitals.

Supermarkets, convenience stores and medical facilities will still be operational on the condition that they ventilate and sanitize the place.

Before entering the place, residents should make appointments beforehand. The health code must be scanned and the temperatures be taken. Visiting hours should be staggered and traffic be restricted.

Large-scale business conventions and social gatherings such as temple fairs, bazaars and line dancing will be suspended.

Enterprises should allow their employees to work at home.

People who do not work in essential industries should not go out.