Residents of Xi'an, China, react to COVID lockdowns with outrage and humor
NPRResidents of Xi'an, China, react to COVID lockdowns with outrage and humor Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Schiefelbein/AP Mark Schiefelbein/AP HAINAN, China — Chinese citizens are indignant after an eight-month pregnant woman was refused entry to a hospital because the validity of her COVID-19 test had expired by just two hours. Xi'an, a city of 13 million residents, has been locked down since Dec. 23, making this China's biggest lockdown since Wuhan was first sealed in 2020. Xi'an has recorded nearly 1,800 cases in the past month — a high number given that Chinese authorities are punished if even a single case pops up in their jurisdiction. Lockdowns like the ones in Xi'an and Yuzhou, as well as mass testing, are widely supported in China because they allow the majority of citizens to continue going to work and eating out like normal.