{"id":227180,"date":"2021-01-13T16:27:48","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T00:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/?p=227180"},"modified":"2022-09-09T18:21:17","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T01:21:17","slug":"coronavirus-outbreak-spreads-beyond-hebei-as-sinovac-vaccine-data-disappoints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2021\/01\/coronavirus-outbreak-spreads-beyond-hebei-as-sinovac-vaccine-data-disappoints\/","title":{"rendered":"Coronavirus Outbreak Spreads Beyond Hebei as Sinovac Vaccine Data Disappoints"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new outbreak of\u00a0 coronavirus in Hebei prompted the province to enter \u201cwartime mode\u201d in early January<\/a>. The provincial capital Shijiazhuang, Xingtai, and the city of Langfang which borders Beijing are on lockdown, affecting 11 million people. Liaoning province, which abuts Hebei\u2019s northern border, has also enacted lockdown measures, and Heilongjiang has also declared a state of emergency<\/a>. Larger than the October outbreak in far western Kashgar<\/a>, this becomes China\u2019s largest in the past few months. At NPR, Emily Feng reported on the scope of the outbreak and the likely duration of the province\u2019s lockdown measures<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n

Since Jan. 2, Hebei has reported more than 600 new positive cases, 544 of which were from the capital city of Shijiazhuang. To identify all potential patients, health officials have completed one round of mass testing of all the city’s residents, and a second one is being carried out this week.<\/p>\n

The province also postponed its annual legislative meeting because of the flare-up. Liaoning province, which has had a small number of new virus cases this month, also postponed its meeting.<\/p>\n

[\u2026] Public health officials blame lax regulations governing movement in the countryside and frequent visits among friends and family for the Hebei outbreak. On Monday, nearly 20,000 residents from twelve rural villages in the Gaocheng district of Shijiazhuang were bussed to government quarantines.<\/p>\n

The Hebei flare-up is the most severe outbreak China has seen in more than five months. Dr. Zhang Wenhong, a prominent doctor who directs the infectious diseases department at a Shanghai hospital, told Chinese media the outbreak would likely continue for another month before it is brought under control. [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

At The New York Times, Steven Lee Myers reported on local reactions to the outbreak and corresponding pandemic control measures<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n

After a taxi driver tested positive over the weekend in Beijing, the authorities tracked down 144 passengers for additional tests, according to The Global Times, a state tabloid. Now anyone getting in a taxi or car service in Beijing has to scan a QR code from their phone, allowing the government to quickly trace them.<\/p>\n

[\u2026] While the new restrictions have inconvenienced millions, there appears to be no significant public resistance to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as I am concerned, I think measures like a lockdown for the whole city are actually quite good,\u201d said Zhao Zhengyu, a university student in Beijing who is now confined to her parents\u2019 home in Shijiazhuang, where she was visiting during winter break when the outbreak there erupted.<\/p>\n

[\u2026] \u201cChinese cities enforce a residential system \u2014 smaller ones have several hundred residents, big ones have tens of thousands \u2014 and by shutting the gates you can lock in tens of thousands of people,\u201d Mr. Chen [Min, a writer and former newspaper editor who goes by the pen name Xiao Shu] said in a telephone interview. \u201cNow whenever they run into this kind of problem, they\u2019re sure to apply this method. That would be impossible in Western countries.\u201d [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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This. pic.twitter.com\/p9YmT3J87E<\/a><\/p>\n

— T.H. Schee (@scheeinfo) January 13, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n