Residents in Lhasa, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region takes nucleic acid tests on August 9, 2022. Photo: IC

The city of Xigaze in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Thursday extended the city-wide static management, asking local residents to stay at home for another three days given the city's grim epidemic situation.

According to Xizang region's press conference on Thursday, Xigaze found two confirmed COVID-19 cases and 19 asymptomatic infections on Wednesday, and Xigaze and Lhasa have finished the second round of mass nucleic acid testing.

After four travelers from Xigaze were found COVID-19 positive in Ngari Prefecture's Burang county during regular nucleic acid testing, Xigaze on Monday put the whole city under three-day static management, suspending group events, dine-in services and indoor entertainment, as well as cultural and sports venues.

Xigaze government has promised to provide free accommodation for travelers who were stranded at hotels including family hotels in the downtown area of Xigaze from Monday to the end of static management, except for those who had left the city before Wednesday.

Xigaze government said the city's financial department will pay the hotels for tourists' accommodation, asking local hotels to register the guests' information and cost.

There have been more than 7,000 travelers who have safely left Xizang region in the past two days, Ji Yue, deputy director of tourism development department of Xizang, said at the press conference. 

Ji Yue said that as of Wednesday, there have been 7,317 tourists including 20 foreign visitors stranded in Xizang, 1,108 of whom were in Xigaze, promising full efforts in travel services.

According to local health officials, there have been 15 confirmed cases and 107 asymptomatic infections reported in the whole Xizang region as of press time, and COVID-19 in Xizang region is still on the rise with high spreading risk.

Global Times