社评：坚持防控保民生，迎战奥密克戎｜Omicron rings alarm

Anyang, a city with a population of 5 million in Henan province, was locked down on Monday. It is the third city to hit the pause button in China over the past month, highlighting the challenge the country still faces in its fight against the novel coronavirus.

拥有500万居民的河南省安阳市已经于10日起进入封锁状态。安阳是在过去一个月里第三个按下暂停键的城市，这意味着中国在抗击新冠疫情上仍面临重大挑战。

There were 110 locally transmitted infections reported in the Chinese mainland on Monday, among which 87 were in Henan, 13 in Shaanxi province and 10 in Tianjin. As of Tuesday noon, Tianjin has reported a total of 97 cases since last weekend.

1月10日0至24时，31个省（自治区、直辖市）和新疆生产建设兵团报告新增本土病例110例（其中河南87例，陕西13例，天津10例）。截至11日12时，在过去一周内，天津市共报告新冠肺炎病毒感染者97例。

▲ A medical worker takes swab sample for COVID-19 tests at a testing site in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan province, Jan 10, 2022. Photo/Xinhua

2022年1月10日，在河南省郑州市的一个核酸检测点，一名医务人员进行核酸检测取样。新华社摄

It is not only the numbers themselves that have prompted the local authorities to make the decisions to lock down these cities but more importantly they have been spurred to do so by the potential of the virus to inflict damage on public health, social stability and the economy should the infections spread.

当地政府决定封城考虑的不仅仅是感染人数本身，更重要的是一旦感染扩大，新冠病毒可能会给公众健康、社会稳定和经济发展造成巨大损失。

Arguably the only major country to have adopted a zero-tolerance approach in its fight against the virus, China has always acted quickly so it can seize the initiative — which many countries have surrendered long ago. Thanks to its perseverance and inputs into its zero-case strategy, particularly the over 80 percent vaccinationrate, the last death caused by the virus on the mainland dates back to January last year.

很多国家早已向新冠病毒投降，但中国作为唯一一个采用“清零”政策对抗新冠肺炎疫情的大国，一直凭借反应快速掌控着主动权。正是由于对“清零”政策的坚持和付出，尤其是疫苗接种率超过80%，从去年1月至今，大陆还未有死亡病例出现。

As such, although the number of infections are low, the lockdowns are not unreasonable. Particularly since the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games will soon open and the Lunar New Year holiday is just three weeks away and this is a peak travel period.

同样地，尽管感染人数很少，决定封城仍然是合理的。特别是考虑到2022年北京冬奥会即将开幕，并且三周后的春节假期又将带来出行高峰。

Notably, the cases in Tianjin and Anyang are the highly infectious Omicron variant of the virus, and according to the Tianjin epidemic prevention and control department, the variant might have been transmitting in the port city with a population of 14 million for at least two weeks before it was identified last weekend, with the origin of the infections remaining unknown. That the cases in Anyang can be traced back to Tianjin means the cross-region transmission of the Omicron variant is already a reality. Neighboring Beijing and Hebei provinces must be on the highest alert.

值得注意的是，天津和河南安阳的感染病例属于高传染性的奥密克戎变异株。根据天津市疫情防控部门通告，这起疫情在被发现前，有可能已经在这个有1400万人口的港口城市传播了至少两周。此外，安阳的病例可以追溯到天津，这意味着奥密克戎变异株的跨区域传播已经成为现实。邻近的北京和河北省必须处于最高警戒状态。

▲ A child accompanied by a parent gets a nucleic acid test in Tianjin's Xiqing district on Sunday. Tianjin has launched citywide mass testing for COVID-19. Photo/Xinhua

9日，在天津市西青区，一名儿童在父母的陪伴下接受核酸检测取样。天津已经在全市范围内开展全员核酸检测。新华社摄

A national transport hub in Central China, Henan has every reason to take strict measures to cut the transmission chains of the virus in its jurisdiction as is being done in the provincial capital Zhengzhou and neighboring Xuchang. Without such efforts, Henan could easily become a steppingstone for the virus to extend its transmission chains nationwide, which would undo what the country has achieved over the past two years.

作为中部地区的交通枢纽，河南完全有理由在其管辖范围内采取严格措施，切断病毒的传播链，就像其省会郑州及相邻的许昌所做的那样。如果没有这些疫情防控措施，河南很容易成为病毒传播链向全国延长的关键一环, 这将使得中国在过去两年中所取得的抗疫成就付诸东流。

The tranquility of people's lives in the rest of the country is partly attributable to those bravely fighting on the front line in the affected regions. But the battle against the virus is a people's war, and people are either already engaged in the fight in some capacity or in reserve.

全国其他地区人民生活的平静和安宁有一部分要归功于奋战在抗疫一线的工作人员。但与病毒的斗争是一场人民的战争。人们要么已经以某种身份参与战斗，要么正准备参与战斗。

The whole country must raise its vigilance again and overcome any sluggishness or complacency, as now is another critical phase in the seesaw battle with the virus that treats all encounters as its first.

目前正处于抗疫拉锯战的又一个关键阶段，全国上下要像初次面对疫情一样，提高警惕，克服任何懈怠或自满情绪。

perseverance

英 [ˌpɜːsəˈvɪərəns]; 美 [ˌpɜːrsəˈvɪrəns]

n. 毅力，不屈不挠的精神

steppingstone

英[ˈstepɪŋˌstəʊn]；美 [ˈstep.ɪŋ ˌstoʊn]

n.踏脚石；进身之阶；达到目的的手段

tranquility

英[træŋˈkwɪləti]；美[træŋˈkwɪləti]

n.宁静，安宁

vigilance

英[ˈvɪdʒɪləns]；美[ˈvɪdʒɪləns]

n.警戒，警觉；失眠症

sluggishness

英[ˈslʌɡɪʃnəs]；美[ˈslʌɡɪʃnəs]

n.迟缓；惰性；萧条

complacency

英[kəmˈpleɪsnsi];美[kəmˈpleɪsnsi]

n. 自满，自鸣得意

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社评：坚持防控保民生，迎战奥密克戎｜Omicron rings alarm