After gradually tightening COVID-19 curbs over the past few weeks, Beijing on May 12 said it “recommends” residents stay at home while new mass testings are underway.
Panic buying gripped the capital on Thursday evening amid rising fears of a city-wide lockdown, though officials have dismissed lockdown speculation as “rumors.”
Xu Hejian, a spokesperson for Beijing authorities, said at Thursday’s briefing that Beijing will launch three rounds of testing in the 11 of the city’s 16 districts and an economic zone in the next three days. He urged people to reduce movement during the period starting from May 13.
With gradually escalating restrictions in China’s capital—most recently suspending taxi services in some virus-hit districts—many are nervous that the city is heading to a Shanghai-style lockdown. The ongoing lockdown in the financial hub started in late March when officials asked its 25 million residents to stay at home to let health workers complete two rounds of mass screening. Before announcing the snap lockdown on March 28, Shanghai officials had also cast lockdown speculation as “rumors.”
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