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#Coronavirus News Desk – Beijing residents clear out grocery stores amid lockdown rumors as #COVID19 cases surge

Residents of some parts of China’s capital Beijing have emptied store shelves and overwhelmed delivery apps, as the city government ordered faster construction of quarantine centres and field hospitals to cope with a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Unconfirmed reports of lockdowns in some Beijing districts on Friday fuelled demand for supplies, something not seen in the city for months.

Unusually large numbers of shoppers in the city’s northern suburbs left shelves bare, but customers were few in the city centre, where supplies remained abundant.

China reported 32,695 COVID-19 cases on Friday, of those 1,860 were in Beijing, the majority of them reportedly asymptomatic.

Improvised quarantine centres and field hospitals in gymnasiums, exhibition centres and other large indoor spaces have become notorious for overcrowding, poor sanitation, scarce food supplies and 24-hour lights.

Most residents have been advised not to leave their compounds, some which are being fenced in.

Several university campuses have been closed off, and students in lower grades have been shifted to online classes.

Some of Beijing’s grocery delivery services have reached capacity.

An increase in demand combined with worker shortages left some customers unable to book same-day delivery slots from popular online grocery services such as Alibaba’s Freshippo and Meituan Maicai.

Alibaba did not immediately comment.

Accelerated build

City government spokesperson Xu Hejian said it was necessary “to strengthen the management and service guarantee” of quarantine centres where positive COVID-19 cases and close contacts are taken by police. 

Authorities must “further accelerate” their construction and “coordinate the allocation of space, facilities, materials, personnel and other resources,” Mr Xu said.

Officials have insisted that China must stick with its hard-line zero-COVID policy that mandates lockdowns, mass testing and quarantines.

The policy has seen World Health Organization and others to call for a change in tack, which the Communist Party has rejected.A worker in protective suit sprays disinfectant as residents stand in line for their routine COVID-19 throat swabs.(AP: Andy Wong)none

While the number of cases and deaths in China is relatively low compared to other countries, the party remains committed to the strategy.

Most other governments have eased antivirus controls and now rely on vaccinations and immunity from past infections to help prevent deaths and serious illness.

Local officials are under intense pressure to prevent outbreaks, and often gravitate toward the most extreme measures.

Last week Guangzhou suspended access to its Baiyun district of 3.7 million residents, while residents of some areas of Shijiazhuang, a city of 11 million people south-west of Beijing, were told to stay at home while mass testing is conducted.

China has a vaccination rate of more than 92 per cent, with most people having received at least one dose.

But far fewer older Chinese people have received their doses, and the earlier vaccination drive seems to have lost momentum.

AP

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