China puts city of 13 million in lockdown ahead of Olympics

BEIJING (AP) — China has plunged a city of 13 million people into lockdown to stamp out an increase in coronavirus infections, as the country doubles down on its “zero tolerance” policy just weeks before it is set to host the Winter Olympics. The restrictions in the northeastern city of Xi’an took effect at midnight Wednesday, with no word on when they might be lifted. They are some of the harshest since China imposed a strict lockdown last year on more than 11 million people in and around Wuhan. Though the latest outbreak is 1,000 kilometers southwest of the Olympic host city of Beijing, any sign that the pandemic might be worsening in China will raise questions about whether and how it will manage to welcome thousands of people when the Games open.