Residents scan the QR code at the entrance of a subway station, via local health code system to take subway trains in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province on March 2, 2020. Photo: VCG

The Health code system in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, has been down for almost the whole day on Monday, causing inconveniences to local residents on their daily routine with the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the city. 

The health code system in Xi'an has been down since Monday morning due to excessive visits, Xinhua News Agency reported, adding that many residents could not take public transportation or get a nucleic acid test as residents need to scan the QR code for these activities. 

A visitor from Beijing surnamed Ge who is in Xi'an on a business trip told the Global Times on Monday that he used a green travel code to enter public spaces throughout the day which has been functioning as health code. 

As of Monday evening the health code was gradually restored, according to Ge.

The crash of the health code system sparked debates and concerns among Chinese citizens, as the bug has resulted in additional waiting times and major inconveniences for local residents, especially when the city is currently conducting a city-wide nucleic acid testing. 

"I cannot understand that the system has been even down for the entire day," a netizen commented on Chinese Twitter-like Sina Weibo on Monday. 

A local resident told the Global Times on Monday that "it is worrying that a city with a population of nearly 10 million is so poorly managed."

Meanwhile, Chinese netizens also joked about the situation online. Some posted videos showing employees having to swear that the results of the nucleic acid testing within 48 hours were negative in order to enter buildings.

Local residents cannot ride buses and taxis without a green code and the city will conduct nucleic acid testing in all public places and transportation once the city-wide testing is finished, the local government said on Saturday.

Other 24 new cases were confirmed in Shaanxi Province on Sunday, taking the total of locally transmitted cases to 53 with eight asymptomatic infections.