In locked down Chinese city, some complain food hard to get

By KEN MORITSUGU
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Residents of the Chinese city of Xi’an are enduring a strict coronavirus lockdown, with business owners suffering yet more closures and some people complaining of difficulties finding food. That’s despite assurances from authorities that they are able to provide necessities for the 13 million people largely confined to their homes. Stringent measures to stem outbreaks are common in China. The country still maintains a policy of stamping out every COVID-19 case long after many other countries have opted to try to live with the virus. But the lockdown imposed Dec. 23 in Xi’an is one of the harshest in the country since a shutdown in 2020. The Xi’an lockdown comes at a particularly sensitive time, as Chinese authorities prepare to hold the Beijing Winter Olympics.