CHINA: Two senior officials in Xi’an have been fired following the spread of COVID-19

Authorities fired two officers Sunday in the northern Chinese city of Xi’an, where the number of coronavirus cases has dropped after twelve days of detention, according to official figures released Monday.

Also read: China welcomes reduction in Xian cases

According to local official media, local officials announced Sunday evening that they had fired two senior Communist Party delegates from the Anta district “to strengthen the epidemic prevention and control work in the area.” ..

Last month, several dozen officers were already sanctioned for “adequate rigor in the prevention and control of the epidemic.”

Zion announced 90 new coronavirus cases on Monday, up from 122 the day before, and more than 1,600 contaminants in the city since December 9th.

“We have launched a general attack,” said Liu Gujong, a provincial official who said in an official note that the community needed to be freed from the coronavirus as soon as possible.

Xian, known for its underground terracotta army, is the new center of the epidemic in the country, leading authorities to impose controls on 13 million inhabitants and to carry out extensive tracing operations.

As soon as cases arise, China pursues a “Zero COVID” strategy with very strict border restrictions and targeted lockdowns, but this policy has not stopped local spread.

Xian residents say they have been struggling for enough food in recent days, although Chinese officials insist they are working to secure supplies.

A month before the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China has recently recorded infection figures that have not been seen since March 2020, despite the low number of cases compared to other countries in the world.