Since the diagnosis of COVID-19 confirmed cases was announced on Dec 15 in Xi'an – capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province – 2,686 people in close contact and 6,209 people in sub-close contact involved in the transmission chain in the city have been quarantined and have undertaken multiple nucleic acid tests, according to the news conference held by the municipal government.

On Dec 18, all affected districts and counties have carried out nucleic acid tests for residents, with more than 16 million samples collected.

A young man has a nucleic acid swab at the testing station near the Xi'an Bell Tower on Dec 19. [Photo/Xi'an Daily]

On the same day, Xi'an reported 10 confirmed local cases and three cases with asymptomatic infections. So far, these cases have been transferred to designated medical institutions for isolation treatment and medical observation.

In response to the current severe and complex pandemic situation, starting from Dec 18, various cultural and expo venues, tourist attractions and public places in Xi'an upgraded their prevention and control measures.

A courier with online food delivery giant Meituan brings daily necessities to residents in Xi'an. [Photo/Xi'an Daily]

As a result, all scenic spots and cultural venues have issued notices of suspension of their openings or operations, with cultural performances postponed or cancelled.

In order to effectively respond to the pandemic, the Xi'an Metro has also adjusted its prevention and control measures. Utilizing scanning codes, temperature measurements and disinfections, the metro has also increased its frequency of disinfections, added spare trains to reduce station congestion and acted to ventilate its trains more, to ensure the safe travel of passengers.

Xi'an Metro staff members disinfect key stations. [Photo/Xi'an Daily]