Residents in the locked-down Chinese city of Xi’an said they were struggling to find enough food, despite Beijing insisting Thursday that there were now adequate supplies.
Beijing has followed a strict “zero Covid” approach involving tight border restrictions and swift, targeted lockdowns since the virus first surfaced in a central city in late 2019.
All 13 million residents of Xi’an were placed under lockdown eight days ago, and local officials admitted that there had been trouble providing essential supplies.
But the central government insisted Thursday there were enough supplies in the city.
“On the whole, the total supply of daily necessities in Xi’an is sufficient,” said commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng at a press briefing.
He said the commerce ministry would take further measures if needed to “ensure a stable supply of residents’ daily necessities.”
State TV showed footage of workers in hazmat suits sorting eggs, meat and vegetables, before delivering food to residents door-to-door.
But Xi’an residents contacted by AFP said they were struggling to secure enough food.
“I didn’t get any food delivered to me,” said one woman who spoke to AFP. “I managed to order something from our convenience store downstairs two days ago, but not today.”
“I have rice at home… I have several eggs left — one per meal, one meal per day,” she said.
One resident who didn’t want to be named told AFP she only had enough food because she had persuaded the community manager at the gate to let her slip out to the supermarket for half an hour to get supplies.
Supplies were low and the vegetables were not fresh, she said, adding that by Thursday police had been stationed outside the block.
While low compared to outbreaks around the world, daily infections remained high in Xi’an by China standards, with another 155 infections reported Thursday.
There have been more than a thousand cases since December 9.
When the lockdown was announced last week, the rules allowed one resident out every two days to stock up on supplies. This was then reduced to every three days, before residents were no longer allowed out at all.
Online some reported having received food parcels, but many complained they were still struggling to get supplies.
“I heard friends in other districts got their food delivered, but not here in Weiyang district,” a resident surnamed Wang told AFP, saying she was working through all her supplies.
“I live on…. a bowl of porridge everyday, just to keep alive.”
