New local cases in Xi'an: authoritative interpretation of when the turning point will come and how to prevent and control it

According to Xinhuanet on the morning of the 28th, from 0:00 to 24:00 on December 27, 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported 209 new confirmed cases. Among them, 27 cases were imported from abroad (8 in Shanghai, 6 in Guangxi, 2 in Fujian, 2 in Shandong, 2 in Guangdong, 2 in Yunnan, 2 in Shaanxi, 1 in Tianjin, 1 in Zhejiang, and 1 in Chongqing); 182 local cases (180 in Shaanxi, including 175 in Xi'an, 3 in Xianyang, and 2 in Yan'an; 1 in Zhejiang, in Shaoxing; 1 in Yunnan, in Kunming). No new deaths. No new suspected cases.

On December 27, Lu Chenyang (second from left) guided residents to undergo nucleic acid testing in Mengcun Community, Yanta District, Xi'an. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Bowen

Why has the number of cases in Xi’an increased suddenly recently?

A reporter from Shaanxi Daily interviewed Zhang Yi, director of the Institute of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control of the Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Zhang Yi said that there are two main reasons for the sudden increase in cases recently. First, we have increased the intensity of nucleic acid testing, increased coverage, and increased the frequency of testing, thereby discovering more cases. Another reason is that some new point outbreaks have emerged, such as Optoelectronics Valley and JD Logistics Park, where many cases have appeared in a short period of time. The public does not need to worry too much about the rapid increase in confirmed cases in the short term. At this stage, the more cases found through nucleic acid testing, the better, which is also the purpose of nucleic acid testing. We have quickly taken control measures for these point outbreaks. With the implementation of lockdown measures, the epidemic will generally stabilize.

When will the Xi'an epidemic reach a turning point?

Academician Zhang Boli recently said in an interview about the epidemic in Xi'an that it is expected that the epidemic in Xi'an will be blocked by mid-January, and it is entirely possible to control it by late January. Zhang Boli said: "For the situation in Xi'an, we still have to strictly guard against it, and we have to actively screen, control the patients, and block it as soon as possible. I estimate that it will take one to one and a half cycles, that is, it can be blocked around mid-January, and it can be completely controlled by the 20th of January. I think it is still entirely possible. We hope to stay at home as much as possible during this period, including going abroad, and traveling outside the province, and try to celebrate the New Year in the same place. This protracted battle against the epidemic has now reached a very critical period, and the turning point is about to appear, so everyone should hold on a little longer. Especially with the Winter Olympics coming, we still have to create a good atmosphere to welcome the Winter Olympics and maintain this good situation in China."

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Don't be careless about personal protection

Source: People's Daily Online, Xinhua News Agency, CCTV, National Health Commission, Science and Technology Daily, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou News Radio