The announcement of a possible lockdown in case of an influenza outbreak in Xi’an, a popular tourist destination in Shaanxi province, has triggered negative reactions on social media. The city unveiled an emergency response plan that would allow it to close down schools, businesses, and crowded areas during a severe flu epidemic.
This has caused a range of emotions among Chinese social media users, with some expressing anxiety and anger as they believe the plan resembles the strict zero-Covid measures that China enforced during the pandemic and only recently abandoned.
“Vaccinate the public rather than using such time to create a sense of panic,” one user posted on Weibo, A platform similar to Twitter, in China.
“How will people not panic given that Xi’an’s proposal to suspend work and business activities were issued without clear instruction on national level to classify the disease?” says another user.
While the number of Covid-19 cases in China is declining, the country is currently facing a rise in influenza cases, causing some pharmacies to struggle with the demand for flu remedies.
However, it’s important to note that Xi’an’s newly unveiled emergency response plan isn’t necessarily an indication that the city will impose a lockdown. Rather, the plan lays out a framework for how the city would respond to a potential outbreak based on the severity of the situation. The plan consists of four levels of severity, each with specific measures to be taken to ensure an appropriate response to the outbreak.
In the plan’s topmost and most severe level, it specifies., “the city can lock down infected areas, carry out traffic quarantines and suspend production and business activities. Shopping malls, theaters, libraries, museums, tourist attractions and other crowded places will also be closed.”
“At this emergency level, schools and nurseries at all levels would be shut down and be made responsible for tracking students’ and infants’ health conditions.”
The criticism of Xi’an’s emergency response plan has emerged at a time when the Chinese government is emphasizing the need to reopen the country following the removal of all Covid-19 restrictions in January. During the pandemic, China implemented some of the most severe measures worldwide, including extended lockdowns in some cities and sustained mass testing and border quarantine policies. However, even as evidence grew of the damage being done to its economy, China was one of the last countries to lift such measures.
Xi’an, for example, experienced a harsh lockdown between December 2021 and January 2022, which resulted in shortages of food and essential supplies, and restricted access to medical care for its 13 million residents. This experience is still fresh in people’s minds, particularly given the recent demonstrations against China’s zero-Covid policy. The incident involving a pregnant woman being denied access to a hospital because of a lack of a valid Covid-19 test, leading to a miscarriage, further fueled public anger.
As a result, any talk of a return to Covid-style measures has hit a nerve among the population, and the backlash against Xi’an’s emergency response plan reflects this sentiment.
While many Chinese netizens criticized Xi’an’s emergency response plan, some online voices called for a measured response. One user on Weibo emphasized that the plan was only a proposal and not yet implemented, urging others not to overreact. The user added that it was reasonable to take precautions in light of the strong flu outbreak across the country.
Source: CNN
