Covid-19: Chinese city forced to shut down again to avoid 'explosion' of cases

Some parts of the ancient Chinese city of Xi’an was shut down again to avoid an explosion of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, owing to the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant. The officials said Tuesday (July 5) that businesses, schools and restaurants in Xi’an, which is home to 13 million people, will close for one week. 

At the fag end of last year, the historic city Xi'an endured a month-long lockdown. Now, the city has reported 18 cases since Saturday in a cluster. As per the official notices, the cases are caused by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, which is already dominant in the United States and Britain. 

Zhang Xuedong, who is the city official, said during a press conference that Xi'an would implement "seven-day temporary control measures". The measures would "allow society to quieten down as much as possible, reduce mobility... and cut the risk of cross-infection". 

Zhang said: "We must race against both time and the virus... to guard against all possible risks and hidden dangers, and decisively avoid an explosion in community spreading." 

The latest rules will kick in from midnight on Wednesday. As per city government's notice, the public entertainment venues including pubs, internet cafes and karaoke bars would shut their doors. 
 
The notice added that the restaurants will not be allowed to serve diners indoors but may continue to offer takeaway services. Schools are to start the summer holiday early and universities will seal off their campuses.