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Supermarket shelves empty in Beijing as city rushes Covid quarantine centres

Uncertainty and scattered, unconfirmed reports of lockdowns in at least some Beijing districts have fuelled demand for food and other supplies.

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Residents of some parts of China’s capital have been emptying supermarket shelves and overwhelming delivery apps after the city government ordered faster construction of Covid-19 quarantine centres and field hospitals.

Uncertainty and scattered, unconfirmed reports of lockdowns in at least some Beijing districts have fuelled demand for food and other supplies, something not seen in the city for months.

Unusually large numbers of shoppers in the city’s northern suburbs left shelves bare in markets, but customers were relatively few in the centre of the city of 21 million, where supplies remain abundant.

Daily cases of Covid across the country are hitting record numbers, with 32,695 reported on Friday.

A mirror reflects workers in protective suits and masked residents stand in a locked-down neighbourhood as part of Covid-19 controls in Beijing
A mirror reflects workers in protective suits and masked residents stand in a locked-down neighbourhood as part of Covid-19 controls in Beijing (Andy Wong/AP)

Improvised quarantine centres and field hospitals hastily thrown up in gymnasiums, exhibition centres and other large, open indoor spaces have become notorious for overcrowding, poor sanitation, scarce food supplies and lights that stay on 24/7.

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

At entrances, workers clad head to toe in white hazmat suits stop unauthorised people and make sure residents show a recent negative Covid test result on their mobile phone health apps to gain entry.

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

Meanwhile, some of Beijing’s grocery delivery services have reached capacity.

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

A man wearing a face mask walks on a pedestrian bridge against the office buildings as motorists drive past a quiet street in Beijing
A man wearing a face mask walks on a pedestrian bridge against the office buildings as motorists drive past a quiet street in Beijing (Andy Wong/AP)

Alibaba did not immediately comment.

At a Friday afternoon news conference, city government spokesman Xu Hejian said it was necessary “to strengthen the management and service guarantee” of quarantine centres and field hospitals where people who test positive for Covid or have been in close contact with an infected person are taken by police.

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

Officials have in recent days repeatedly insisted China must stick with its hard-line “zero-Covid” policy which mandates lockdowns, mass testing and quarantines for anyone suspected of having come into contact with the virus.

The policy is seen as taking a harsh toll on the economy and upending lives in many Chinese cities, leading the World Health Organisation and others to call for a change in tack — calls the ruling Communist Party has angrily rejected.

While the number of cases and deaths in China is relatively low compared to the US and other countries, the party remains committed to the strategy, which aims to isolate every case and eliminate the virus entirely.

Residents buy fresh vegetables from street vendors as restaurants are closed in some districts in Beijing
Residents buy fresh vegetables from street vendors as restaurants are closed in some districts in Beijing (Ng Han Guan/AP)

Harsher measures have been enacted in many other parts of China, despite the government urging more precise and targeted measures to reduce the social burden and economic costs. Local officials are under intense pressure to prevent outbreaks and often gravitate toward the most extreme measures.

Guangzhou suspended access on Monday 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 home while mass testing is conducted.

A key issue is concern about public vulnerability to the virus. With few having caught Covid-19 or even having been exposed to the virus, only a small percentage are thought to have built up effective levels of virus-fighting antibodies.

China has an overall coronavirus vaccination rate of more than 92%, with most people having received at least one dose. But far fewer older Chinese — particularly those over 80 — have gotten the jabs and the earlier vaccination drive seems to have lost momentum.

Also on Friday, Beijing cut the amount of reserves banks are required to hold in a move that will help lenders comply with orders to defer repayments by companies struggling because of increasing anti-virus controls.

A resident looks at fresh produces at a supermarket in Beijing
A resident looks at fresh produces at a supermarket in Beijing (Ng Han Guan/AP)

Private economists and the International Monetary Fund have already trimmed low forecasts of China’s annual economic growth as the government closes shops and offices and tightens controls on manufacturing.

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