Covid-19: A dozen days of lockdown spurs angst in China's Xi'an

Almost two weeks of lockdown is wearing on the residents of Xi’an, the western Chinese city that’s the nexus of the longest outbreak of Covid-19 in the country since the virus was first detected there.

Shortages of food and medical care have worsened over the past 12 days since officials sealed off the city of 13 million people in an effort to stymie a flareup that has already led to more than 1,600 infections.

More posts are starting to emerge on Chinese social media criticizing the government’s poor management of the lockdown and complaining that access to food is extremely limited.

Scenes like this haven’t been seen in China since the first days of the pandemic, when officials shut down Wuhan and introduced the Covid Zero policy it’s maintained ever since. The more infectious delta variant has made the stringent approach increasingly difficult, at a time when much of the world has transitioned to living with the virus as it continues to mutate into even more transmissible strains. China is yet to report cases of omicron in the community.

Fanning Out

The outbreak appears to have spread from the epicenter of Xi’an, which reported 95 new cases on Tuesday, with a growing number of infections emerging elsewhere.

The eastern province of Zhejiang and central province of Henan reported eight and five cases respectively, while another 21 asymptomatic infections were detected country-wide and counted separately.

More than 100 people have been diagnosed daily for the past 10 days, a stark departure in China where the zero-tolerance Covid policy led to few locally transmitted infections throughout much of 2021. The deteriorating situation is putting officials under increased pressure as Lunar New Year, the country’s most important holiday and its busiest travel season, is looming, and Beijing is set to host the winter Olympics starting in February.

Some residents in Xi’an have started bartering food and cigarettes amid the shortages, according to social media posts. Residents have been asked to remain inside their homes during the lockdown, with one family member allowed to leave every other day in a sometimes fruitless effort to find supplies.

Others criticized the authorities for prioritizing residential compounds where government officials live. The deputy mayor of Xi’an, and another official in the hardest-hit district, were fired as the city vowed to “strengthen epidemic prevention.” SOSNerves are fraying as the rising number of cases and chaos in hospitals squeeze medical resources, leading to patients suffering from other conditions being denied care.

The father of one Xi’an resident couldn’t find medical care after a sudden heart attack, despite having a negative Covid test, according to a widely-circulated article on social media. They were also unable to get help via a medical hotline. “Xi’an SOS,” the resident wrote, in a plea for outside help.

The tangled situation triggered online rumors about supply shortages that confused and upset residents. One video showed people in Fengyang, a smaller city in Shaanxi province, using a horse to bring in supplies.

Officials later denied that traffic restrictions led locals to rely on alternate methods of transportation.

Local leaders in Xi’an have discouraged people from returning to their rural hometowns during the New Year holiday. There is heightened concern about the increased risk of spreading the virus and seeding spillover events in other areas, according to officials speaking at a press conference on Monday.

Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan, was put under partial lockdown overnight after two Covid cases were reported in the city on Monday. Yuzhou, a smaller city in the same province, was shut earlier.