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Urumqi is undergoing what are now typical Chinese outbreak blockade measures
A “state of war” has been declared in Urumqi, the capital of China’s western Xinjiang region, after an increase in coronavirus cases.
Authorities said Saturday that 17 new cases had been registered and that strict measures had been imposed on the movement.
Although the figure seems low, China has seen very few significant outbreaks since Covid-19 emerged in Wuhan City late last year.
China is now not in the top 20 in terms of infections or deaths.
It has registered more than 85,000 infections and 4,600 deaths, according to research by Johns Hopkins University.
What’s going on in Urumqi?
The capital of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region has a population of approximately 3.5 million.
The latest infections began to be detected Wednesday, the first in the region for months, causing the cancellation of almost all flights in and out of the city. Subway services were also suspended.
Authorities on Saturday said the total number of cases was 17. An official said at a state briefing: “The entire city has entered a ‘state of war’ and will suspend all kinds of group activities.”
The latest blocking measures include:
- Mass detection in buildings where new cases have been detected, then expanded to all of Urumqi
- Visits to other homes are restricted, as are large gatherings.
- Residents are urged not to leave the city unless absolutely necessary and should be evaluated if they do so
Rui Baoling, director of disease control and prevention, said the main group had been detected in the Tianshan district of Urumqi, but although the “epidemic has developed rapidly,” she added that the “situation is generally controllable.”
Xinjiang has reported 23 other cases listed as “asymptomatic” this week, with 269 people under “medical observation.”
How has China dealt with the outbreaks?
The vast majority of coronavirus deaths and most infections in China occurred in Wuhan earlier this year.
Since then, the only large-scale group was reported in June in Beijing, where more than 330 people became infected before containing the outbreak.
However, some have questioned China’s reports of the outbreak numbers.
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China has certainly taken tough measures to prevent the spread of any outbreaks, imposing strict controls when necessary, including shutting down transport and introducing mass testing.
As of Friday, only 22 new cases were reported for the entire mainland China, and that includes 16 of Urumqi’s cases.
To put this in perspective, Florida recorded an increase of more than 10,000 cases on Saturday.
Why is Xinjiang also in the news?
Xinjiang is home to the majority of Muslim Uighurs and other Turkish minorities and is subject to intense state control.
BBC China correspondent Stephen McDonell says there is additional sensitivity in controversial detention camps where hundreds of thousands of mostly ethnic Uighurs have been interned as part of a massive “de-radicalization” program.
He says that if the coronavirus entered one of those camps in the same way that it did in prisons, the possibility of widespread infection would be considerable.
Xinjiang is one of several problems that have contributed to worsening relations between the United States and China.
Last week, the Trump administration announced sanctions against Chinese politicians who it says are responsible for human rights violations against Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
China rejects the allegations. On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying invited US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to visit Xinjiang to see for himself that there were no such violations.
