Virus persists as lockdown eases in China's Xi’an city

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Authorities have eased lockdown in China’s Xi’an city, which is under strict anti-virus measures for the past three weeks, even though the country kept recording the locally transmitted COVID-19 cases.

In a statement on Friday, National Health Commission of China said the country recorded 143 local cases on Thursday, including 98 cases in central Henan province where Anyang city is under lockdown. The city alone recorded 69 indigenous cases.

Northern Tianjin city recorded 34 cases while Xi’an, the capital of northwestern Shaanxi province, recorded eight cases.

The country recorded 201 cases in total on Thursday which included 58 imported cases.

According to state-run Xinhua News, China Post, the state-owned enterprise operating the official postal service of China, resumed its services in Xi’an.

“Postal and express delivery services in Xi'an have been gradually resumed in an orderly manner with strengthened epidemic prevention measures amid the latest resurgence,” the report said.

Xi’an has reported over 2,000 locally transmitted virus cases since Dec. 9.

China has reported 104,580 COVID-19 cases, including 4,636 deaths, since December 2019.