China: Authorities punish 26 officials for outbreak in Xi'an

Twenty-six political officials have been fined in China for failing to block a Covid outbreak in the now-locked northern Chinese city of Xi'an, the National Disciplinary Service said today.

The Chinese authorities have been implementing a "zero Covid" strategy since last year, which is to do everything possible to limit the occurrence of new cases as much as possible. To this end, great pressure is being exerted on local officials.

China has successfully brought the epidemic under control in its territory and has recorded only two deaths in a year and a half. However, its mobilization continues in order to avoid any large-scale outbreak before the Beijing Winter Olympics (4-20 February 2022).

Life is almost normal in the country from the spring of 2020 thanks to drastic measures: long-term mandatory quarantine upon arrival of travelers, targeted lockdowns, mass diagnostic tests, mobile tracking applications and drastic restriction of international flights.

But sporadic outbreaks occur regularly in recent months. For example in the large city of Xi'an in northern China, known around the world for the buried army of terracotta warriors.

Its 13 million inhabitants remain locked in their homes since yesterday, Thursday, the shops are closed and the health authorities carry out diagnostic tests on the entire population.

In this context, the Central Inspection Commission of the Discipline announced today that 26 officials of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were punished for "lack of rigor in preventing and controlling the epidemic."

Xi'an announced today 49 new patients from Covid-19, increasing their total to over 250 in recent weeks.

Chinese government officials who fail to contain the epidemic in their province or city are punished and even fired.

According to the Central Discipline Inspection Committee, an investigation revealed some laxity in diagnostic tests in Xi'an and poor coordination, which prevented case contacts from being traced.

A CCP official in Inner Mongolia (northern China) was fired after a Covid outbreak broke out in his region in October, as did a health official in the large city of Chengzhou (central China) in August.

As of yesterday, Thursday, every Xian household can only send one of its members out of the house once every two days to buy essentials.

Those who wish to leave the city must apply for a special permit.

Source: RES-EAP