CHINA: COVID-HIT XIAN TIGHTENS MEASURES IN EFFORT TO CURB WORST OUTBREAK

BEIJING: The locked-down Chinese city of Xian on Monday tightened Covid-19 controls 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 “zeroCovid” strategy of tight border restrictions, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns as Beijing prepares to welcome thousands of overseas visitors for February’s Winter Olympics.

But Xian - 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 Xian 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 Warriors - recorded 150 new cases on Monday, bringing the total to around 650 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 Xian, as authorities urged migrant workers from the city not to travel home in the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday.

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