Xi'an now front line in battle against still intractable virus: China Daily editorial

It may seem that the epidemic situation in Xi'an shows no signs of easing despite the citywide lockdown. Of the 152 locally transmitted novel coronavirus infections reported nationwide on Wednesday, 151 were in the capital of Shaanxi province. However, experts say this is because the rounds of mass nucleic acid testing are identifying new cases, and the situation should start to show signs of improvement in a week or so.

Yet the worries that many in Xi'an expressed when the pause button was pressed on businesses and social life in the city of more than 12 million residents have gradually materialized, and need addressing. Supplies of food and other daily necessities, although abundant, according to officials, are not being delivered to the doors of local residents in many communities, due to either mismanagement or a shortage of personnel. The situation has worsened after officials suspended the previous policy allowing one person from a household out to buy daily essentials every two days until further notice, prompting some to call for help on social media platforms. Not to mention the difficulties faced by those who need regular medical treatment such as dialysis.

In hindsight, Xi'an could have responded better in terms of its pandemic handling, given that the national fight against the coronavirus is about to enter the third year, with many lessons having been learned and so much experience accumulated in many other cities such as Wuhan, Shijiazhuang and Nanjing, to name just a few.

The sacrifices that local residents in Xi'an are making, including home confinement and taking nucleic acid tests repeatedly, in order to cut the chain of transmission of the virus are for the good of not only themselves, but all people in this country, and they deserve our highest sympathy and respect.

For local officials, they must take the hard situation they now face as a test of their governance capabilities and work wholeheartedly to bring the situation under control as soon as possible and help local residents during these difficult days. This is the only way to ensure what local people are going through in this time of adversity is worth it.

The best we can do to pay back the contribution made by people in Xi'an is to give them our moral support, and join them in the anti-virus fight, though in different places and in different ways, through exercising precautions such as wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing, and not traveling to potentially risky places, especially during the upcoming New Year and Spring Festival holiday season.

The deja vu now unfolding in Xi'an — coupled with the country's growing pressure to prevent inbound infections as the Omicron variant has become prevalent in some countries — points to the challenges that may lie ahead before the country can keep the virus at bay.

Even after an immunity firewall has nearly been completed nationwide — 85.64 percent of its population has been vaccinated — it is still important that everyone realizes that in the face of this common enemy, we are all in the same boat.