China has been informed by the Omicron Covid-19 scientist that it will not allow its police to use their ‘Zero Covid” force against this super-transmissible variant.
The Chinese city of Xi’an’s 13 million residents were ordered on Thursday into a draconian stay-at-home lockdown because of 250 cases.
All households are limited to sending one family member out every two days for essential shopping.
But Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Centre for Epidemic Response & innovation (CERI) in South Africa, said the measures won’t work.
Twitter user He said: “China will have great trouble with #omicron & zero covid policies.
They may be required@ to work with the rest of world on mitigation strategies. China should not penalize its citizens, public health officials and foreigners for a more transmissible variant.
While it’s not known what type of Chinese influenza the outbreak might be, Omicron seems most likely.
Pictured: A map showing Xi’an, a Chinese city of 13 million that has been locked down due to an outbreak of Covid-19, and its relative location to Beijing – where the 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in February – some 570 miles away
Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Centre for Epidemic Response & innovation (CERI) in South Africa, said the measures won’t work
Pictured: Police officers patrol the empty Xi’an North Railway Station after a citywide lockdown was imposed to halt the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus on December 23, 2021 in Xi an, Shaanxi Province of China
It comes after dozens of Communist officials in China have been punished for failing to stop the Covid-19 outbreak in Xi’an.
China’s disciplinary body announced the punishments of the officials on Friday, the latest state reprimands under Beijing’s strict zero-Covid approach.
China is currently on alert for any new Covid-19 cases. It hosts the Winter Olympics, which will be held in Beijing in February, as well as Omicron, a more dangerous variant of the virus.
According to the zero-Covid strategy, which consists of strict border restrictions and lengthy quarantines, as well as fast implemented targeted lockdowns, the world’s largest nation is able to reduce cases by a significant amount.
However, cases are surfacing in recent weeks. Xi’an (home to the Terracotta Warriors), has asked all 13,000,000 residents to remain home starting Thursday. It also shut down businesses and launched several rounds of mass testing.
According to the government, residents should not be forced to move from the city, and those who do need to relocate would need to prove that they are in a’special circumstance’ to get approval.
Friday’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection reported that 26 Communist Party members were punished for their ‘insufficient rigour’ in controlling and preventing the spread of the disease.
Xi’an also reported 49 more cases Friday. This brings the outbreak total to over 250 these past weeks.
Chinese officials that are found to be unable or unwilling to manage the virus in their area are often fired and reprimanded.
Photo: Picture of people waiting in line for COVID-19 test in Xi’an Province in northern China’s Shaanxi Province on Thursday, December 23, 2021
In the statement it was stated that inspections showed there had been a loose approach to testing, and an inconsistent response that prevented contact tracing in Xi’an.
According to a Party discipline official, authorities will take steps against ‘bureaucratic problems in disease control work’ such as not taking responsibility, not moving quickly, giving the finger and treating things negatively.
After a series of cases hit his region in October, he was fired as Inner Mongolia’s party secretary. In August, the Zhengzhou health commissioner head was forced to resign after he was affected by cases during summer.
According to the Chinese state media, five cases of Xi’an virus have been reported in Beijing. These reports raise concerns over how fast the virus could spread across China.
All households in Xi’an are restricted from sending one person outside each two days under lockdown rules.
If residents wish to move out of the city, they must apply first for permission. Major venues such as the Terracotta Army museum – which houses the mausoleum China’s first Emperor – are currently closed.
Following a 24-hour lockdown across the entire city to prevent the spread Covid-19, officers have been patrolling empty Xi’an Railway Station.
According to government notices, long-distance bus stations closed. Also, authorities established disease control checks on highways leaving Xi’an.
VariFlight reports that over 85 percent have been grounded on flights from and to the main city airport.
In the city, there has been a drastic reduction in passengers on trains and buses. Schools have also been closed.
CCTV reports that all ‘non-essential’ businesses and public facilities, except for supermarkets, convenience shops, and hospitals, were ordered to shut down. The local government also urged employers not to deny employees the right to work remotely.
Meetings large-scale and activities outdoors have been suspended
China remains one of the last remaining countries to adhere to the zero-Covid strategy. It has established regional lockdowns when there is a risk of infection. They claim that they have prevented over 30 infections in the past two years by using this approach.
Following a nationwide lockdown of the city, officers were sent to patrol empty Xi’an North Railway Station. This was in response to the spreading of Covid-19 virus. It occurred on December 23rd 2021 in Xi’an Province.
There are concerns that China may not be prepared for Omicron Covid-19, which is more dangerous and could cause more disruption.
According to researchers in Hong Kong, three doses from Sinovac’s CoronaVacCOVID-19 vaccine failed to produce sufficient levels of antibodies against the Omicron strain of coronavirus.
According to their analysis, Pfizer BioNTech vaccine was found to be more efficient than China’s Sinovac vaccine. The third dose of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine gave ‘protective levels of Omicron antibody’.
Pfizer, along with its German partner BioNTech, claimed that their three-shot course could neutralize the Omicron variant of Omicron in a laboratory experiment.
Researchers from both the University of Hong Kong and Chinese University of Hong Kong conducted the latest study, which was funded by the Health and Medical Research Fund and Government of Hong Kong.
It did not specify how many samples were used for the analysis. Sinovac has not yet responded to my request for comment.
Pictured: Two cars drive along a almost empty street in Xi’an (northwestern China’s Shaanxi Region), December 23, 2021
Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine and Sinopharm state-owned Sinopharm BBIBP–CorV vaccine are two of the most widely used vaccines in China. They also make up the top COVID-19 vaccines that China exports. Sinopharm has another vaccine that is used in China.
Hong Kong is a user of the Sinovac or Pfizer BioNTech shots. The BioNTech vaccine is only available to those aged 12-17.
Xi’an wasn’t the only one to find itself under lockdown during this week. On Tuesday, Dongxing in the south ordered that its 200,000 inhabitants isolate their homes after an infection had been detected.
China has increased its strict zero-tolerance Covid policies as it prepares to welcome thousands of athletes from around the world at the Olympics. Beijing will be requiring negative Covid test results from foreign visitors, and restricting flights from other countries.
Covid-19 has not been the only scourge that has hit Xi’an recently. The city has seen several cases of deadly haemorrhagic febrile disease since the start winter.
The local authorities have encouraged calm regarding the rodentborne disease. They stated that it’s common in north China and easy to prevent with vaccinations.