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Fears of a severe Covid lockdown triggered panic buying in Beijing on Monday, as huge lines developed in a large central district for mass testing mandated by the Chinese government.
China was already attempting to stem a wave of illnesses in its largest metropolis, Shanghai, which has been almost fully shut down for weeks and reported 51 additional Covid deaths on Monday.
Shanghai has struggled to provide fresh food to those confined at home, while patients have complained difficulty receiving non-Covid medical care – and the mounting instances in the capital have sparked fears of a similar lockdown.
The largest district in downtown Beijing, Chaoyang, which is home to about 3.5 million people, has ordered mass testing beginning Monday for residents and anyone coming to work there; the area is home to the offices of numerous multinational corporations and embassies.
Queues snaked around malls and outside office complexes on Monday as people waited to be swabbed for samples by health professionals wearing protective gear.
“If a single case is discovered, this area may be affected,” said office worker Yao Leiming, 25, as he and a group of colleagues drove to a testing site in Chaoyang.
The mass testing order, combined with predictions of a “grim” Covid scenario in the city, prompted a rush on Beijing’s supermarkets on Sunday, as locals scrambled to stockpile essentials.
When AFP checked grocery delivery apps on Sunday, many items were sold out, especially for deliveries to Chaoyang.
Beijing has also tightened entrance rules, requiring visitors to obtain a negative Covid test within 48 hours of arrival.
China has been battling its largest outbreak in two years with a zero-Covid strategy that includes severe lockdowns, mass testing, and travel restrictions.
Officials claim that this policy has helped China escape the large-scale public health disasters seen elsewhere in the world during the Covid crisis, but the approach has taken a significant toll on enterprises and public morale.
