As most of the planet returns to pre-pandemic norms, the world’s biggest capital city could soon be back in lockdown.
Beijing’s residents are bracing for China’s government to enforce strict measures after an outbreak of Covid-19 cases.
Many of the city’s 21 million residents have begun to stockpile food fearing they could soon be facing a situation like Shanghai.
There have been reports of families running out of essentials after people were confined to their homes in the mega-city almost 700 miles from the capital.
Troubling stories of people left waiting for days for food deliveries from the local government have spread on social media, despite tight control on the sharing of information.
Beijing could be next in line as the ruling party continue to pursue a ‘zero Covid-19’ strategy, unlike the majority of the world.
There have been long lines in supermarkets around Beijing and workers have been struggling to keep shelves stocked.
Full panic is yet to set in but people will know that the government will not hesitate to act at even a small jump in case numbers.
Beijing reported 19 new cases in the previous day, bringing the total to 47 from Friday to Sunday.
The city has ordered mass testing across the vast Chaoyang district, where most of the Omicron cases have been found.
More than three million people who live and work in the area need to be swabbed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Sites were set up overnight and in the early morning at residential complexes and office buildings around the district.
Shanghai, which has been locked down for more than two weeks, reported more than 19,000 new infections and 51 deaths in the latest 24-hour period, pushing its death toll from the ongoing outbreak to more than 100.
The central city Anyang, along with Dandong on the border with North Korea, also announced lockdowns as the Omicron variant spreads across the vast country.
China’s borders remain largely closed as its hardline response and the pandemic’s economic impact continue to grow.
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