There is no relaxation in the face of infections. As his country faces its worst epidemic since the first wave of 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, March 17, ordered the continuation of the so-called “Zero Govt” policy.

“We must always prioritize the people and their lives (…) and stop the spread of the disease as soon as possible.”, Said Xi Jinping, according to a public television report. Millions of Chinese are imprisoned across the country. In just a few days, at least 17 cities, including Shenzhen Technology City, with a population of 17.5 million, have been placed under isolation.

According to the “Zero Govt” policy, once a case arises, the authorities impose strict control measures and carry out massive and repeated screenings of the population. As of Thursday, 2,432 new cases had been identified in the last 24 hours due to the Omigron variant, according to Health Ministry figures. This official record is high for China.