Dozens of Chinese officials were sanctioned after a coronavirus outbreak occurred in the city of Xi’an, where residents were confined as a result of Beijing’s “zero covid” strategy, the disciplinary committee said on Friday.
China, which holds the Winter Olympics in February, managed to control coronavirus cases through a strategy of strict restrictions such as quarantines and lockdowns.
But cases have risen in recent weeks and in Xi’an, where the famous terracotta warriors were found, its 13 million residents have been living under severe confinement since Tuesday.
Only one person from each household can leave every two days to make essential purchases and authorization must be requested to leave Xi’an.
This Friday, the Central Commission for Disciplinary Inspection sanctioned 26 Communist Party officials for “lack of rigor in preventing and controlling the outbreak.”
In a statement, the Commission explained that there was a neglect in conducting tests in Xi’an, as well as an uncoordinated response to find contact cases of those infected by coronavirus.
In China, officials accused of failing to control the spread of the virus in their region are fired or sanctioned.
Additionally, a further 49 cases were reported in Xi’an on Friday, bringing the total to 250 in recent weeks.
So far, positives passing through Xi’an have been detected in five other cities, including the capital Beijing, raising concerns that cases could spread rapidly across this huge country.
