It has been over ten days since Xi’an, China’s ancient capital for many centuries, was locked down on Dec. 23, 2021, with people only allowed to shop for food and necessities once every two days. The northwestern Chinese city of over 13 million people officially recorded its first COVID-19 case on Dec. 9. But by Dec. 26, shopping for necessities was completely banned and residents across the city were not allowed to leave their homes except for COVID-19 testing. There is no immediate sign that there will be any lifting of containment measures. Almost two years into the pandemic, doubts are growing among residents regarding the effectiveness and necessity of the government’s stringent lockdown measures. Sudden Transfer of Residents on New Year’s Eve One Xi’an resident said in an online post that they believe over 1,000 residents were taken from their homes on New Year’s Eve to a suburban area for …