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Residents of Xi’an Express Their Frustration over COVID Lockdown
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With a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases, Xi’an, a Chinese metropolis, has been under complete lockdown since December 23. Given the extended duration of the ongoing lockdown and the city’s vast population exceeding 13 million, this presently stands as the lengthiest COVID lockdown in China since the virus originated in Wuhan back in 2020. As time passes and the lockdown persists, the inhabitants of Xi’an are growing increasingly anxious and disheartened.
A significant number of Xi’an locals have resorted to voicing their concerns on Chinese social media platforms, particularly focusing on the escalating challenges related to acquiring food, essential household items, and medical provisions. An amusing trend has emerged featuring instructional videos on cabbage preparation, as cabbage has emerged as one of the few readily accessible food items.
Several medical facilities within the city have had to temporarily cease operations due to resource shortages stemming from both the lockdown measures and broad-scale testing initiatives. Consequently, hospitals have adopted a policy of refusing entry to individuals who haven’t yet tested negative for COVID to prevent the potential spread of the virus among their existing patients.
Xi’an residents report shortage of food supplies as the lockdown continues https://t.co/ZtFhRJiyIY pic.twitter.com/UCqxYeYcCG
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) December 30, 2021
One particular incident has sparked widespread outrage among the public and involved one of the scarce operational hospitals in Xi’an. An unidentified pregnant woman, eight months along, was denied entry to the hospital premises because her recent negative COVID-19 test had expired merely two hours earlier. The woman was compelled to wait outside the hospital premises for a fresh COVID test, tragically resulting in a miscarriage. This episode has garnered severe criticism from the city’s residents, prompting an investigation by both the Women’s Federation and the health commission of Shaanxi province into the hospital’s actions.
