I wouldn't say it's getting stricter per se. I think more and more places are seeing large-scale covid measures for the first time and/or longer than ever before simply cuz omicron spreads more easily. as such there's also been exponentially more chances of local incompetency absolutely screwing over people's lives (no doubt the local cadres etc are facing an immense amount of pressure, but there's a whole conversation to be had how the Party's local organizations have become a lot more bureaucratic and dogmatic these days, simply carrying out orders without even an attempt of communication, mobilization, or grounded flexibility; and of course the more pressure/anger the local cadres face the more comfortable they are in resorting to blunt dirigism and furthering the downward spiral)