China orders strict lockdown in Xi’an over COVID outbreak–officials

People line up to be tested for the Covid-19 coronavirus in Xi’an, in China’s northern Shaanxi province on December 21, 2021, after the detection of more than 40 new cases raised concerns of wider transmission ahead of a busy travel season. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT

Beijing, China — The northern Chinese city of Xi’an on Wednesday ordered all 13 million residents to stay home, in a strict lockdown as concern grows over a fresh outbreak of COVID-19.

All households may only “send one household member outside once every two days to purchase necessities,” with all others ordered to remain indoors except for emergencies, the city government said in a statement on its official Weibo social media account.