 |
| All 13 million residents of Xi'an were placed under lockdown eight days ago. (Photo by=AFP/STR) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] BEIJING: The Chinese megacity of Xi'an has partially resumed public transport, according to official announcements, after millions were confined to their homes for weeks because of a coronavirus outbreak, AFP reported.
The easing of transport rules, including the resumption of some inter-city train routes, comes just before the Chinese New Year holiday later this month, traditionally a period of mass travel. Chinese officials have pursued a strict "zero-COVID" approach to containing the virus, with tight border restrictions and targeted lockdowns, a strategy that has come under pressure as multiple clusters have flared across the country ahead of next month's Winter Olympics. Some 13 million Xi'an residents were placed in lockdown in mid-December as cases spiked, but the historic city reported no new local cases on Wednesday for the first time in weeks. Local authorities said public transport had resumed in "low-risk" areas from Tuesday (Jan 18).
Trains from Xi'an to popular destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou have "basically resumed operations" as well, state broadcaster CCTV said on Wednesday. CCTV added that the number of commuters at the city's train stations - mainly students and migrant workers - was increasing as well. Xi'an's flare-up was China's biggest in months. Wednesday's absence of cases suggests the current outbreak is coming under control.
