Scientist Tulio de Oliveira, who warned the world about the new version of the Omicron coronavirus, claims that the “zero COVID” strategy adopted in China will not work against the super-transmissive mutant strain.
The scientist who warned the world about the variant of the Omicron virus believes that China’s “zero COVID” policy will not be effective against the super-transmissible mutant strain.
As the Daily Mail reminds, on Thursday 13 million residents of the Chinese city of Xi’an were ordered to sit on “draconian” isolation due to 250 cases of coronavirus. This means that all households can only send one family member outside once every two days to buy basic necessities.
But Tulio de Oliveira, director of the South African Center for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), believes the measures will not work. He tweeted, “China will face big challenges with #omicron and zero covid policies.”
According to the scientist, “China should not punish its health officials, citizens or foreigners for the more contagious option.”
It is not known what option is associated with the latest outbreak of coronavirus in China, but Omicron is considered the most likely. Dozens of officials in China have been punished for failing to stop the COVID-19 outbreak in Xi’an. China’s disciplinary authority announced Friday that it will punish officials in line with Beijing’s strict COVID zero approach.
China, where COVID-19 was first detected in late 2019, is on high alert for new cases of coronavirus as the country prepares to host the Winter Olympics in February in the capital of Beijing, and the more contagious variant of the Omicron virus is spreading rapidly across the country. the world.
The world’s most populous country claims to have cut cases to a minimum thanks to its zero-COVID strategy of tight border restrictions, lengthy quarantines and fast-paced targeted lockdowns.
The city of Xi’an, home to the world famous terracotta warriors, has ordered all 13 million residents to stay home from Thursday, is closing factories and launching several rounds of massive coronavirus tests. Residents should not leave the city unnecessarily, authorities said, adding that those who wish to leave will have to provide proof of “special circumstances” and apply for permission.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said Friday that 26 Communist Party officials have been punished for “not being strict enough to prevent and control the outbreak.” Chinese officials believed to have been unable to control the virus in their region are regularly fired or reprimanded. In a statement, inspections showed a weak approach and uncoordinated response to testing in the city, hampering contact tracing in Xi’an.
The authorities will tackle “bureaucratic problems in disease control, such as evasion of responsibility, inaction, shifting of responsibility and negative attitudes towards things,” said the official in charge of party discipline.
Cases from Xi’an have so far spread to five other cities, including Beijing, according to state media reports, raising fears over how quickly the virus could spread geographically across the vast country.
Long-distance bus stations have been closed in Xi’an, and authorities have set up checkpoints on roads outside the city, according to government notices. More than 85 percent of flights to and from the city’s main airport have been suspended, according to flight tracking system VariFlight. In the city, the passenger traffic of buses and trains has decreased, schools are closed. All “nonessential” businesses and public facilities other than supermarkets, shops and medical facilities have been closed, according to CCTV, and local authorities have called on employers to allow people to work from home.
COVID-19 is not the only disaster to hit Xi’an in recent weeks, with several cases of potentially fatal hemorrhagic fever reported in the city since the beginning of winter. Local authorities are calling for calm about the rodent-borne disease, saying it is common in northern China and can be easily prevented with vaccinations.
According to the Daily Mail, China is one of the last countries in the world to adhere to a strategy of zero infection with the COVID virus and impose regional restrictions at the first sign of infection. Authorities say they have contained more than 30 outbreaks using this method in the past two years.
Xi’an is not the only city to be locked down this week. On Tuesday, the southern Chinese city of Dongxing ordered its 200,000 residents to self-isolate at home after discovering the infection.
The PRC has tightened its already strict zero-tolerance policy for COVID as the country prepares to host thousands of international athletes for the Olympics in just a month, with Beijing demanding negative coronavirus tests from visitors and restricting flights from other cities.
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