A Chinese city has sparked backlash on social media after saying it would consider using lockdowns in the event of a flu outbreak.
The city of Xi’an – a tourist hotspot in Shaanxi province that is home to the famous Terracotta Warriors – unveiled an emergency response plan this week that would allow it to close schools, businesses and “other crowded places” in the event of a flu outbreak. .
That sparked a mix of anxiety and anger on China’s social media sites among many users who said the plan looked uncomfortably similar to some of the strict Covid-zero measures that China has implemented during the pandemic and that have only recently been abandoned.
“Vaccinate the public instead of using this time to create a sense of panic,” wrote one user on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.
“How will people not panic since Xi’an’s proposal to suspend work and business activities was issued without clear instructions at the national level to classify the disease?” asked another.
While China’s Covid cases are falling, there has been a spike in flu cases across the country and some pharmacies are struggling to keep up with the demand for flu medicine.
However, Xi’an’s emergency plan will not necessarily be used. Instead, it outlines how the city of nearly 13 million people would respond to any future outbreak based on four levels of severity.
At the first and highest level, he says, “the city can block infected areas, carry out traffic quarantines and suspend production and business activities. Shopping malls, theaters, libraries, museums, tourist attractions and other busy places will also be closed.”
“At this level of emergency, schools and day care centers at all levels would be closed and made responsible for monitoring the health conditions of students and babies.”
The backlash comes as Beijing’s central government stressed the need to reopen the country after removing all Covid restrictions in January.
During the pandemic, China has enforced some of the world’s toughest Covid restrictions, including lockdowns that have stretched out for months in some cities.
It was also one of the last countries in the world to end measures such as mass testing and strict quarantine periods at borders, even amid mounting evidence of the damage done to its economy.
Xi’an itself was subject to a draconian lockdown between December 2021 and January 2022, with 13 million residents confined to their homes for weeks on end – and many left without food and other essential supplies.
Access to medical services has also been affected. In an incident that shocked and angered the country, a pregnant woman was turned away from a hospital on New Year’s Day because she lacked a valid Covid-19 test and suffered a miscarriage after finally being admitted two hours later.
Shortly before China lifted its pandemic-era restrictions, the country was rocked by a series of demonstrations against its Covid-zero policy.
Memories of confinement in their homes and panic buying that in some areas led to food shortages remain fresh in people’s minds and the idea of a return to Covid-style measures seems to have reached a tipping point.
However, some voices called for calm.
Epidemiologist Ben Cowling of the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health said he saw the logic of the change.
“I think it’s quite rational to make contingency plans. I wouldn’t expect a lockdown to be necessary for the flu, but presumably there are different levels of response,” he said.
One Weibo user expressed a similar sentiment: “It’s just revealing a proposal, not putting it into practice. It is normal for us to take precautions, as this flu wave is coming very strong.”
Source: CNN Brasil

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