Panic Buying In Beijing In The Face Of Pandemic Lockdown Fears

A widespread COVID-19 testing order in Beijing's most populous district caused locals to stock up on groceries, afraid they would face a lockdown similar to Shanghai's, which is now in its fourth week of excruciating isolation.

Authorities in Chaoyang, which has a population of 3.45 million people, ordered residents and workers to be tested three times this week, as Beijing cautioned the infection had spread "silently" for approximately a week before being discovered.

Knowing how difficult it was for Shanghai residents to obtain food and other necessities while confined to their homes, Beijing buyers flocked to stores and online marketplaces to stock up on veggies, fresh meat, instant noodles, and toiletries.

Di, a 63-year-old Chaoyang resident, purchased two bags of veggies - enough for 8-10 days, he claimed - just lest his building was added to the list of more than a dozen that had been placed under lockdown. "Shanghai was a cautionary tale," he added, adding that he did not expect Beijing to follow suit.

The biggest supply constraint in the financial hub has been a shortage of couriers to make supplies to residences, causing widespread worry and anger.

According to the state-backed Beijing Daily, supermarket giants such as Carrefour and Wumart stated their inventories had more than doubled, while Meituan's grocery-focused e-commerce platform expanded supplies and the number of workers for sorting and delivery.

According to research published on Friday by Gavekal Dragonomics, 57 of China's top 100 cities by economic production had COVID-19 regulations in effect last week, down from 66 the week before.

While in Shanghai, officials said they will explore reserving the most severe curbs for limited areas near proven cases, which prompted hopes of some relief.

Authorities erected two-meter-high green wire mesh gates over the doorways of numerous public housing units and even entire streets over the weekend, with videos online revealing inhabitants protesting from their balconies as frustration among the city's 25 million citizens reached unprecedented heights.

On April 24, the Shanghai authorities recorded 51 additional COVID deaths, the largest day total so far.

The official death toll now stands at 138, with all of the deaths occurring from April 17 onwards. However, many residents have claimed that relatives or acquaintances died after contracting COVID-19 as early as March, raising doubts about the numbers.

Since Friday, 70 locally transmitted cases have been reported in eight of Beijing's 16 districts, with 46 of them from Chaoyang.