Conditions hard for 13 million under China virus lockdown

Authorities in the northern Chinese city of Xi’an say they can provide food, health care and other necessities for the roughly 13 million people under an almost two-week old lockdown. But some residents describe difficulties obtaining supplies and frustration over the economic impact on the city that is home to the famed Terracotta Army, along with major industries. Recent incidents have included the firing of a pair of local officials for mishandling the situation and the beating of a resident for allegedly violating the restrictions. The Xi’an lockdown imposed Dec. 23 is the most extensive since the one imposed on the central city of Wuhan in 2020, and with Beijing Winter Olympics just a month away, officials are under intense pressure to stem the outbreak.