Women wearing face masks to help limit the spread of the coronavirus walk against strong cold winds in Beijing, China, Thursday, December 30, 2021.
Ng Han Guan / AP
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Ng Han Guan / AP
Women wearing face masks to help limit the spread of the coronavirus walk against strong cold winds in Beijing, China, Thursday, December 30, 2021.
Ng Han Guan / AP
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Chinese officials promise steady grocery deliveries to residents of Xi’an, an ancient capital of 13 million people that’s the most locked-down of a major Chinese city since Wuhan was shut down early last year at the start of the pandemic year.
A ministry spokesman said on Thursday China’s Ministry of Commerce has been in contact with neighboring provinces to help ensure adequate supplies of daily necessities.
State broadcaster CCTV aired a story on Thursday showing building staff assembling free grocery deliveries for residents of an apartment complex in Xi’an.
Deliveries include a box of 15 eggs, a 2.5-kilogram (5.5-pound) bag of rice, and some greens. People can also expect some chicken or pork.
However, some people have complained in the comments below the segment shared on Weibo, a social media platform, that they are not receiving similar shipments in their communities. Many people worry whether they can get fresh vegetables and meat.
This week, the authorities tightened restrictions in Xi’an so that people can no longer leave their homes to buy groceries. Previously, residents were allowed to buy food every two days. The city is also locked down, meaning people cannot leave without special permission.
Xi’an reported 155 new locally transmitted cases on Wednesday, and a total of about 1,000 cases in the latest outbreak.
The numbers pale in comparison to outbreaks elsewhere in the world, but are significant for China, which continues to follow a policy of trying to eradicate the coronavirus. That has led to widespread lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus.
China has reported a total of 101,890 cases and 4,636 deaths since the pandemic began.
