After 70 Covid instances, panic buying has started in Beijing.
Key Takeaways:
- Chaoyang, Beijing's largest district, has begun three rounds of Covid-19 tests for its whole population. Locals waited in line to buy supplies simultaneously, fearful of a Shanghai-style lockdown.
- According to the administration, large-scale gatherings, sporting events, and exhibitions would also be halted in Beijing until further notice.
- Citizens were alarmed when a government official reported that an infectious transmission chain had stretched for a week around the city.
On Monday, Beijing's largest district, Chaoyang, began three rounds of Covid-19 tests for all of its residents. At the same time, locals waited in line to buy necessities amid worries of a Shanghai-style lockdown.
Beijing's city government said late Monday night that widespread testing for Covid-19 will begin on Tuesday in another ten districts and an economic zone. Between Tuesday and Saturday, millions more will be tested three times.
According to the administration, large-scale meetings, sporting activities, and exhibitions would also be halted in Beijing until further notice.
After spreading unnoticed for a week, dozens of infections have been recorded in the previous three days.
Since April 22, Beijing has recorded 70 occurrences, 46 of which were in the Chaoyang area.
In a city of 22 million people, Chaoyang has 3.5 million people.
Chaoyang is home to the primary commercial district, including offices, malls, foreign embassies, and a slew of gleaming skyscrapers.
Eight of Beijing's 16 districts have reported cases, with local officials closing down buildings with even a single infection.
After a government official claimed that an infection transmission chain had extended around the city for a week, citizens instantly became concerned.
The Chinese capital caseload is minor compared to the hundreds of thousands of illnesses reported in Shanghai, which reported 51 Covid-19 deaths on Monday as it began a month-long lockdown.
However, residents of Beijing are not taking any chances after hearing stories of food and supply shortages in the financial metropolis.
According to city officials, residents and employees in Chaoyang will have to get tested three times this week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
It sparked a shopping frenzy for daily needs, with inhabitants queuing for hours on Sunday night and Monday morning at the nearby market.
According to local media reports, numerous markets were short on fresh veggies, and delivery apps stated they were out of meat.
Since Sunday, social media has been a hive of activity, with families and friends pushing one another to stock up on food and goods in case of a lockdown.
On Monday morning, residents formed long lines to be tested, with local Communist Party of China (CPC) volunteers issuing directives advocating calm and discipline.
On Monday, however, most schools, offices, as well as markets in the city remained open.
Residents in Chaoyang have been urged to restrict public activities, and in-person private tutoring programs have been suspended.
All offline training sessions, including group activities at various off-campus training establishments, have been halted by the district.
At a press briefing on Monday, a Beijing government official said, "The epidemic prevention and control situation in Beijing is serious and complex, and it faces many hazards."
However, the number of cases is anticipated to rise.
"The virus has quietly spread around the city for a week, and numerous cases have been presented," Beijing Municipal Government spokesman Tian Wei was cited as saying by state media on Sunday, implying that additional Covid-19 transmissions are likely to be detected.
Meanwhile, Shanghai reported the most significant number of Covid-19 deaths on Monday compared to the previous day, as the city grapples with the disease's deadliest outbreak.
According to the local administration, on April 24, the financial hub recorded 51 new deaths among its Covid-19 patients, up from 39 the day before.
16,983 new local asymptomatic coronavirus cases were reported in the city, down from 19,657 the day before.
According to the local authorities, the number of reported symptomatic infections rose to 2,472 from 1,401.