As influenza cases rise THIS city proposes lockdown despite severe opposition The administration of the Chinese city of Xi'an received some flak from social media users for suggesting lockdowns to deal with the influenza outbreak. The development came as several countries in the world including India are witnessing many cases of flu resulting in a small percentage of deaths.To get more news about city service, you can citynewsservice.cn official website. The emergency response suggested by the administration of Xi'an talked about the closure of businesses, schools, and "other crowded locations" in the event of a serious flu outbreak. According to the weekly Covid surveillance report released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday, there has been a significant increase in the positivity rate for flu. In the week starting from March 5, the positivity rate for flu surged to 41.6%, which is a substantial jump from the previous week's rate of 25.1%. Meanwhile, the positivity rate for Covid-19 decreased to 3.8% from 5.1%. The order was criticized on Chinese social media as the country is still recovering from the economic consequences of strict Covid-19 lockdowns which even prompted some rare protests in the nation. The economy seems to be on track to revival, but the growth rate remains in the lower bracket. The cases of influenza are rising across the world with India also witnessing several cases and two confirmed deaths from the H3N2 virus. The Union Health Ministry has asked all states closely monitor the illness related to the influenza virus and ensure adequate stock of drugs, medical equipment, and medical oxygen in the hospitals. “In the light of the rising trend in other influenza-like illnesses and severe acute respiratory illness (ILIs/SARIs) being witnessed in some states/UTs across the country, a review meeting was held recently under member (health), NITI Aayog to review the current situation. While the Covid-19 trajectory has decreased in the last few months, the gradual rise in Covid-19 test positivity in some states is a concerning issue that needs to be promptly addressed," said Bhushan in a letter seen by Mint. Several states have disclosed the number of influenza cases like Odisha has informed that the state recorded 59 cases of H3N2 influenza in the past two months, while in Gujarat the cases of the H1N1 virus are rising and have also resulted in one death. In the Union Territory of Puducherry, the health authorities are closely monitoring the situation as the total cases of influenza reached 79.