Xi’an releases flu outbreak contingency plan, including potential business and school closures – China Direct

Photo taken on Jan. 5, 2023 shows the respiratory ward of the Ninth Hospital in Xi’an. Photo: CGV

Xi’an, the provincial capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, issued an emergency notice on Wednesday to prepare for an increase in flu cases, saying it would suspend business and school activities in the city if necessary.

In addition, the temporary community-level controls will also be applied to epidemic prevention and control, so as to reduce the flow of people and the risk of cross-infection, the notice said, adding that these measures aim to effectively prevent the spread of the virus without affecting the normal order of society.

The annual flu season has recently peaked with the influenza A(H1N1) virus sweeping the country within weeks, increasing the proportion of flu-like illnesses in southern and northern regions. A total of 390 ILI outbreaks were reported nationwide in the eighth week of 2023, between February 20 and February 26.

In the latest weekly epidemic report released by the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention on February 22, the number of reported flu cases topped the list, the first time this year that the coronavirus fell from the first place.

According to the latest WHO report, the reason for the increase in influenza infections in China since February is related to the simultaneous transmission of two influenza A virus subtypes.

In addition, some experts believe that the reason for last winter’s low-key flu outbreak may be that it was covered up by coronavirus cases, and pandemic prevention and control measures have also weakened the people’s ability to resist other respiratory viruses, leading to a rebound of influenza infection.

The alternating seasons of winter and spring typically see a high incidence of respiratory infectious diseases and flu cases in China are trending upwards, said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (Chinese CDC), in a Sina Weibo post on Tuesday.

Kindergartens in several districts in Xi’an have issued class suspension notices, saying there may be an implementation of March 4-7 class suspension due to the flu outbreak. on campus, according to media reports.

In response, the contingency plan issued by local authorities said there could be temporary lockdown and quarantine measures as well as public transport restrictions and a suspension of work and production in affected areas. , depending on the severity of the outbreak.

Besides, all kinds of crowd-gathering activities will be temporarily suspended, and crowded public avenues such as shopping malls, cinemas, museums and tourist attractions will be temporarily closed.

China’s current flu infection still remains at the seasonal flu level as in previous years before the COVID-19 outbreak, Wu said Tuesday in response to public concern over current flu cases.

Several cities across the country, including Xi’an, said they would strengthen the management and deployment of emergency medical resources, including the use of hotels, restaurants, sports venues and other social resources to establish temporary medical treatment sites if necessary.

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