China reports large decline in cases in confined Xi’an

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) – China on Wednesday reported a significant decline in COVID-19 infections in the northern city of Xi’an, which has been under strict lockdown for two weeks that has significantly altered the lives of its 13 million residents. .

The National Health Commission announced just 35 new cases in Xi’an, where the famous Terracotta Warriors statues and other important industries are located, compared to 95 the day before.

This data confirms the downward trend since the new daily cases exceeded the 100 barrier, which led the authorities to maintain, and in some cases tighten, the restrictions to prevent the population from taking to the streets.

In total, more than 1,600 infections have been registered in Xi’an, but no deaths, in the latest wave of the pandemic. This is a small number compared to outbreaks in other nations, a sign that China’s “zero tolerance” strategy – which includes quarantines in all cases, massive testing and attempts to block the arrival of cases from abroad – has helped contain the important focuses.

The lockdowns, however, are much stricter than those enacted in the West and have taken a huge toll on the economy, in addition to altering the lives of millions of people.

With less than a month to go until the Beijing Winter Olympics kick off on February 4, China is stepping up measures to prevent major outbreaks affecting sports competitions.

Since the start of the pandemic two years ago, China has reported a total of 102,932 infections throughout the country, with 4,636 deaths.

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