Xi’an lifts some virus rules after 3-week lockdown

The central Chinese city of Xi'an has gradually begun lifting COVID-19 restrictions after it entered a lockdown over three weeks ago to stamp out a local virus outbreak.

Officials told that lockdown measures had been either partially or completely lifted in some communities that have been designated as lower risk, allowing people to leave their homes for a limited time to purchase daily necessities.

On Saturday, Beijing reported its first local omicron infection, just before it hosts the Olympics starting on Feb. 4 and around two weeks before the start of Lunar New Year celebrations.

The patient's residential compound and workplace have been sealed off and authorities are mass-testing people linked to either location. China is seeking to stamp out local transmission of the omicron and delta variants with its "zero COVID" policy.