Covid-19: 51 die in Shanghai, as mass testing in Beijing triggers panic buying
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: With 51 new deaths reported in Shanghai on Monday and the officials ordering mass testing in Beijing, the “grim” pandemic situation in China sparked panic buying as waves of infections enforced lockdowns in new areas, the media reported on Monday.
A sudden surge of infections in Beijing and about 15 other cities have taken China by surprise as it is no longer possible to fortify the leakage of news that will have a long-term impact on its superpower ambitions and the economy, the world’s second-largest.
For weeks, China has been trying to contain a wave of infections in its largest city and financial capital Shanghai which reported 51 new deaths on Monday. Infections also reached the national capital Beijing which has now imposed tight controls on the entry of outsiders with travelers required to carry a negative Covid test within 48 hours.
Fears of a hard Covid lockdown sparked panic buying in Beijing as long queues formed in a large central district for mass testing ordered by the Chinese authorities.
Shanghai has struggled to provide food to those confined at home for weeks, while patients have reported trouble accessing non-Covid medical care. Now, the rising cases in Beijing have also triggered fears of a similar lockdown.
Downtown Beijing’s biggest district Chaoyang, home to 3.5 million people, ordered mass testing from Monday for residents and those coming to work in the areas that host the headquarters of many multinational firms and embassies.
The mass testing order, and warnings of a “grim” Covid situation in the city, sparked a run on Beijing’s supermarkets on Sunday as residents rushed to stockpile essential items they feared would vanish anytime.
China has been struggling to defeat its worst outbreak in two years with its zero-Covid playbook, which includes strict lockdowns, mass testing, and travel restrictions.
Officials say this policy has helped China avoid the large-scale public health disasters seen elsewhere in the world during the Covid crisis, but the approach has taken a heavy toll on businesses and public morale.
