Chinese city Xi’an lifts some restrictions after lockdown
BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese city of Xi’an has gradually begun lifting restrictions after over three weeks of lockdown as authorities sought to stamp out a local outbreak before the Beijing Winter Olympic Games are due to start. State-owned broadcaster CCTV reported that certain counties and development zones in Xi’an had begun restoring production. People in low-risk zones are allowed to leave their homes for a limited time to purchase daily necessities. The city went into strict lockdown on Dec. 22, following a coronavirus outbreak that officials attributed to the delta variant. Beijing meanwhile reported its first local omicron infection, just before it hosts the Olympics starting on Feb. 4 and around two weeks before the start of Lunar New Year celebrations.