China locks down parts of Xi’an as Covid Zero policy reinforced

CHINA has locked down parts of the central metropolis of Xi’an, confining some of the city’s 13 million people to their homes for at least a week, in a move that shows the country’s ongoing commitment to its strict Covid Zero policy.

While the entire city won’t be shut down, some areas will be “managed” according to the rules that apply to neighbourhoods in China deemed to be of high and medium risk for the virus, according to a local media report posted on the Xi’an government’s official WeChat account late Thursday (Oct 20). The city had 57 high-risk areas as of late Thursday, and 74 medium-risk, a separate post on the government’s WeChat account showed.

Residents in high-risk areas need to stay at home until no Covid new infections are reported for seven days and they get downgraded to medium risk, according to the latest rules from China’s National Health Commission. People living in medium-risk areas are restricted to movement within those neighbourhoods until no new infections are reported over the seven-day period.

The deployment of movement restrictions follows the detection of 34 cases on Wednesday, up from 22 on Tuesday. They come even as officials at the national level debate whether to reduce the amount of time people coming into the country must spend in mandatory quarantine - suggesting that while China may be looking at easing border restrictions that have kept the country increasingly isolated from the rest of the world, they are still committed to strict internal curbs.  

President Xi Jinping on Sunday signalled no looming change to the Covid Zero approach, disappointing investors who had hoped for some signs of loosening. During a speech opening the twice-a-decade Party Congress in Beijing where he is expected to secure a precedent-breaking third term in power, Xi said the strict rules protect people’s lives, though avoided mentioning the economic toll.

Separately, Hefei, the capital of Anhui province, shut indoor facilities including cinemas, gyms, Internet cafes and bars to curb the spread of Covid, according to a statement from the municipal government Thursday. In-person classes at middle, primary schools and tutoring institutions have been halted and colleges are subject to a closed-loop management system. The city reported new 8 cases for Thursday.

SEE ALSO

China debates reduction of quarantine for inbound travellers

DECODING ASIA

Navigate Asia in
a new global order

Get the insights delivered to your inbox.

Rumours about a city-wide lockdown in Xi’an started swirling on Thursday afternoon, leading to residents panic buying groceries and emptying shelves in supermarkets, according to social media posts.

Xi’an endured a month-long shutdown that ended in January, with many residents reporting they went hungry and were unable to access essential supplies. The city’s stringent application of Covid rules sparked outrage across China when a woman suffered a miscarriage and a man died following a heart attack after both were denied their initial requests for medical care. The two hospitals at the centre of the scandals were later shut for several months and staff punished. BLOOMBERG