What’s new: Northwest China’s metropolitan Xi’an suspended all domestic flights in and out the city in escalated control measures as new Covid-19 cases spike.
The city of 13 million people entered a lockdown starting Thursday, barring all nonessential travel outside the city. Authorities ordered residents to stay home absent pressing needs.
Public transportation services in the city were slashed as all schools and public venues offering nonessential services were closed.
As of Thursday noon, only one international flight from Jeju Island, South Korea, landed at the Xianyang International Airport, with the return flight shown delayed.
The background: Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi province, has been hit by surging flare-ups since Dec. 9. As of Thursday afternoon, the city recorded 234 new infections, 91 more than the previous day. Infections have spread to at least five provinces as of Thursday.
The resurgence was traced back to an imported case among inbound travelers from Pakistan who landed in the city Dec. 4, city officials said. The latest flare-up was dominated by the Delta variant, genetic sequencing showed.
Xi’an city officials enacted a lockdown Wednesday to contain the virus.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (hello@caixin.com)
Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter.
