Chinese authorities locked down more cities on Jan. 18 in an effort to curb the spread of the CCP virus. Several others were upgraded from medium to high-risk for virus spread—meaning residents were required to take nucleic acid tests for COVID-19, the disease caused by the (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Meanwhile, food prices have skyrocketed, especially in cities under lockdown. Prices were at least 50 percent higher than in cities not under strict quarantine policies. Tight Control  On Monday, Xinle city in Hebei Province announced that all supermarkets, grocery stores, and shops must close. Residents would not be allowed to leave their homes.  The city has a population of about 517,000.  Local authorities did not explain the reason for the lockdown, nor announce new COVID-19 cases. One local said in an online post on social media platform Weibo that a CCP virus outbreak escalated quickly, causing the city to go …