China's Xi'an tightens controls to halt Covid-19 outbreak

All non-essential businesses had already been closed as the city went back into lockdown

A medical worker administers a nucleic acid test to a client at a private outdoor clinic in the Chinese capital, Beijing. Getty

While China has contained the spread of Covid-19 and though cases remain relatively low nationally, a recent outbreak in Xian, Shaanxi province, has caused the government to reinforce stricter health measures, including lockdowns, in Beijing. Getty

Nationwide mask mandates, mass testing, vaccine booster doses, quarantines and some travel restrictions have become the norm under China’s zero-Covid policy. Getty

A medical worker stands in protective equipment as a client registers for a test at the outdoor clinic. Getty

A medical worker collects a swab sample from a man for nucleic acid testing at a residential compound in Xi’an. Reuters

Residents queue for Covid-19 tests in the city. AFP

Security guards patrol an area of Xi’an that is under restrictions after the recent coronavirus outbreak. AFP

People queue outside a pagoda at a mass testing centre in the city. Reuters

Protective gear is worn at the entrance of university accommodation that is under lockdown. Reuters

The locked-down Chinese city of Xi'an on Monday tightened coronavirus restrictions to the “strictest” level, banning residents from driving cars around town in an effort to control the country's worst outbreak in 21 months.

China has stuck to a “zero-Covid” strategy of tight border restrictions, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns as Beijing prepares to welcome thousands of overseas visitors for February's Winter Olympics.

Xi'an — where 13 million residents are facing their fifth day of home confinement — is at the centre of a flare-up that has pushed nationwide daily infections to their highest numbers since March last year.

Restrictions tightened further on Monday as Xi'an announced it would impose the “strictest social control measures”, according to a city government social media account.

The northern city — home to the world-famous Terracotta Army — recorded 150 new cases on Monday, bringing the total locally transmitted cases to 635 since December 9.

No vehicles are allowed on the roads unless they are assisting with disease control work, the latest announcement said.

Police and health officials will “strictly inspect” cars, and those who break the rules could face 10 days' detention and a fine of 500 yuan ($78).

Two other cities in Shaanxi province also reported a case linked to Xi'an, as authorities urged migrant workers from the city not to travel home for the coming Chinese New Year holidays.

Since locking down the city last week, authorities have launched several rounds of mass testing and placed nearly 30,000 people in hotel quarantine.

On Monday, Xi'an launched a fresh round of mass testing, state media reported.

All non-essential businesses have been shut, while each household can only send out one person to buy necessities every three days.

The Xi'an government has come under fire for its perceived poor handling of the outbreak, with China's disciplinary body saying last week that 26 local officials had been punished for lapses in virus prevention.

Authorities have strictly limited movement into and out of the city, with footage from state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday showing lorries waiting at road checkpoints as workers in hazmat suits checked health codes on drivers' mobile phones.

Since the coronavirus first emerged in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019, China has largely kept the pandemic at bay.

The country has officially recorded only two deaths in over a year.

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