Infection Cases Continue To Soar: COVID-19 Outbreak In Xian Widens, No Cases Of Omicron Variant Yet

Illustrated COVID-19 in China. (Wikimedia Commons / Andrii Makukha)

JAKARTA - China's locally symptomatic coronavirus cases rose for a fourth straight day, with Xian City reporting more infections in an increase that has put 13 million residents in lockdown.

Xian City reported 175 symptomatic cases, up from 150 the previous day, official data showed on Tuesday. No Omicron infections have been announced yet out of 810 confirmed cases in Xian from December 9 to Monday.

Meanwhile, China is known to have reported only a handful of cases of infection with the Omicron variant among international travelers and in its south.

Nationally, mainland China detected 182 cases of localized symptoms on Monday, according to a National Health Commission statement, compared with 162 cases the day before and marking the fourth straight day of increase.

Monday's nationwide local symptomatic caseload also marked the highest daily number since the official daily bulletin began classifying asymptomatic carriers separately in late March last year.

The number of cases in Xian and in China is smaller compared to many groups in other countries. However, officials have imposed strict restrictions on travel within the city and leaving it, in line with national guidelines to contain the outbreak immediately.

Since last week, Xian residents have not been allowed to leave the city without permission from their employers or authorities.

Officials have restricted permits for people to go shopping as needed during a new round of mass testing starting on Monday, and barred non-essential vehicles from entering the roads.

To note, there were no new deaths on Monday, bringing the national death toll at 4.636. Mainland China had 101.486 confirmed symptomatic cases as of the end of December 27, including local ones and those coming from abroad.