The emergency response plan caused concern and panic among Chinese citizens. (Representative)
Xi’an, China:
A Chinese city has received negative backlash on social media after saying it may consider using a lockdown in case of an influenza outbreak. CNN reported,
Last week, the city of Xi’an, a popular tourist destination in Shanxi province and site of the world-famous Terracotta Warriors, unveiled an emergency response plan that would allow it to close businesses, schools and “other crowded places”. In the event of a severe flu outbreak.
It sparked a mixture of fear and fury among many social media users, who claimed the plan was uncomfortably similar to the strict zero-Covid policies Beijing implemented during the pandemic and abandoned recently Is.
A report published in CNN said that a person on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, argued that it would be better to vaccinate the population rather than take the opportunity to stoke fear.
Another person asked, “How come people will not panic considering that Xi’an’s suggestion to stop business and work activities was issued without specific guidance at the national level to identify the disease?”
Although the number of COVID cases in China is declining, the number of flu cases has increased nationwide, and some pharmacies are finding it difficult to keep up with the demand for flu drugs.
However the Emergency Action Plan for Xi’an will not always be used. Instead, it describes four levels of severity for future outbreaks and how the city of about 13 million people will respond to each.
At the first and highest level, “cities can seal off affected areas, enforce traffic quarantines and suspend production and economic activity.” In addition, crowded areas including malls, theatres, libraries, museums, tourist places and other gathering places will remain closed.
In this state of emergency, all schools and nurseries will be closed, and they will be in charge of monitoring the health of children and students.
The response comes as Beijing’s central government has underlined the need to reopen the nation after all Covid restrictions were lifted in January.
China has implemented some of the world’s strictest COVID regulations during the pandemic, including months-long lockdowns in some cities.
Despite mounting evidence of the damage being done to its economy, it was one of the last countries in the world to end practices such as mass testing and long border quarantines.
According to CNN, 13 million people were confined to their homes at one point in Xi’an alone between December 2021 and January 2022, and many were left without food and other necessities. Access to medical care was also affected.
A critically pregnant woman was turned away from hospital on New Year’s Day because she lacked a valid Covid-19 test, shocking and infuriating the nation. Two hours later, when she was finally admitted, the woman had a miscarriage.
China experienced several protests over its zero-Covid policy just before the removal of its limits on the pandemic era.
Many people still have vivid memories of being confined to their homes and panic buying, which resulted in food shortages in some areas, so the idea of a return to Covid-style rules has struck a nerve .
However, many voices urged restraint.
To epidemiologist Ben Cowling of the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong, the logic of the move was clear.
“I believe it is very reasonable to have a backup plan. While there are obviously multiple response levels, I do not anticipate that the virus will require a lockdown,” he said.
Similar views were shared by a user on Weibo, who said, “This is only the revelation of a proposal, it has not been put in place. Given that this flu pandemic is hitting us hard, taking measures Very normal,” reported CNN. ,
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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