China pushes millions into strict COVID-19 lockdown; residents say they are 'starving'

Considering the worst flare-up in COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, China on Tuesday announced strict lockdown measures pushing another hundred of thousands to stay at home in northern districts unless they had pressing reasons to venture out. The sudden strengthening of measures came as a part of Beijing's "zero-COVID" transmission strategy yet has set off panic just ahead of Beijing Olympics. The announcement comes after Chinese health authorities recorded 209 infections on Tuesday, a single highest daily rise since the outbreak in March last year, CNA reported.

As per local media reports, the measures come as Beijing is gearing up for the Winter Olympics scheduled in February.

The currently targeted lockdowns, expansion of quarantines, multiple mass testing and tighter border restrictions have also remained a part of China's strategy to fight the novel Coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan in late 2019. Notably, Xi'an has set up over 4,000 sampling sites and deployed more than 1,00,000 people to ensure a complete round of testings, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Meanwhile, taking to social media, locked-down residents have complained of shortages in food and other basic supplies, as per CNA. Some residents say they are starving and appealing to neighbors for help. "I'm about to be starved to death," wrote one person on Weibo, China's equivalent of Facebook. "There's no food, my housing compound won't let me out, and I'm about to run out of instant noodles ... please help!"

Nevertheless, experts have remained concerned over the efficacy of the zero-COVID policy against the new COVID variant, Omicron. Taking to Twitter, virologist Tulio de Oliveira on December 25 warned that China will have “great difficulty” to beat Omicron with its “mitigation strategies.” Additionally, he also urged China to refrain from imposing punishments on health officials for contracting the virus as the variant is “more transmissible.”

13mn in Xi'an enter 6th day of strict lockdown

The current COVID-related lockdown comes after at least 13 million residents of Xi'an were pushed into stay-at-home last Thursday, in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. As per the orders, the only person from every household is allowed to go out to purchase groceries and necessity items every three days now, which was two days earlier. The order, coinciding with the one announced yesterday, is said to last indefinitely unless told otherwise.

As per the Associated Press, the said lockdown is one of the "harshest" in terms of intensity after Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered 11 million to remain under lockdown in Wuhan in late 2019.

In addition, nearby cities of the northern district like Yan'an, which is about 300km from Xi'an have also been asked to shut down businesses as cases linked to COVID were reported on Tuesday. Hundreds in the districts have been asked to stay indoors. It is pertinent to mention that, since December 9, more than 800 cases have been recorded in Xi'an, with the youngest being a 38-day-old infant, Global Times reported.

(Image: AP)