Chinese Terracotta Warriors city Xian in lockdown as Covid-19 outbreak grows

Lockdown affects 13 million people, who need permission to leave residential compounds or the city, while shops and businesses are closed

Xian accounts for most of the country’s new coronavirus infections, while also battling deadly seasonal haemorrhagic fever

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A security guard checks a resident’s information as they enter a residental area in Xian. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:17pm, 23 Dec 2021

The northwestern Chinese city of Xian launched lockdown measures on Thursday as it accounted for 63 of the country’s 71 new local symptomatic Covid-19 cases, detected in citywide testing.

Home to the famed Terracotta Warriors and nearly 100 universities and colleges, the capital of Shaanxi province is battling a twin onslaught of the coronavirus and deadly seasonal haemorrhagic fever. The city of 13 million residents had on Wednesday reported 52 symptomatic cases from the same round of testing.

On Wednesday night, the Xian government announced that starting on Thursday, people could leave the city only where absolutely necessary, for which permission needed to be granted.

All residential compounds, villages and companies were placed in lockdown. Each family was permitted to send one member to buy supplies every two days, but no other trips were allowed except emergencies such as admission to hospital.

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Schools, tourism and mass gatherings were suspended, while shops and entertainment venues were closed and dining in was halted in restaurants.

The Xian clusters had already been confirmed as having spread to four cities: Yanan and Xianyang in Shaanxi, Dongguan in the southern Guangdong province, and Beijing in the north.

Chinese Terracotta Warriors city Xian in lockdown as Covid-19 outbreak grows

Lockdown affects 13 million people, who need permission to leave residential compounds or the city, while shops and businesses are closed Xian accounts for most of the country’s new coronavirus infections, while also battling deadly seasonal haemorrhagic fever

Lockdown affects 13 million people, who need permission to leave residential compounds or the city, while shops and businesses are closed

Xian accounts for most of the country’s new coronavirus infections, while also battling deadly seasonal haemorrhagic fever