Some Beijing residents go shopping for food on April 24, 2022. Photos: Li Hao/GT

As Beijing faces a sudden outbreak of COVID-19, a large number of residents have rushed to supermarkets to stock up on daily necessities, with high demand for rice, flour, oil, frozen meat and toilet roll, the Global Times learned on Monday.

Some young people who do not usually cook have been buying more convenience items such as self-heating hot pots and frozen dumplings. Some have also been buying cases of Coke.

On Sunday, the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control reported 41 new confirmed cases since April 22 and the virus is spreading quickly, further increasing the difficulty of prevention and control.

As of 4:00 pm on Monday, 70 confirmed cases had been reported in Beijing, with one high-risk area and six mid-risk areas.

The news prompted residents to flood into supermarkets on Sunday afternoon. Some supermarkets ran out of stock, and online shopping platforms were also under pressure.

The Global Times learned that many customers' carts were filled with various goods in a Sam's Club store in Shijingshan District on Sunday night. Rice, flour, fast food, frozen meat and seafood were the most popular items, with stocks of vegetables also running low.

In a Fresh Hema store, one of the top retailers in China run by e-commerce giant Alibaba, the Global Times learned that daily necessities such as vegetables, meat, eggs and frozen food were in high demand. 

"In two hours on Sunday sales of these goods caught up with the usual amount for one whole day," the store manager of the Yonghui supermarket in Qinghe told the Global Times on Monday.

"The first things I bought were rice, noodles, meat and eggs in case my community strengthens anti-epidemic regulations," a Beijing citizen surnamed Chen told the Global Times on Monday, adding that in the supermarket near her home, a variety of condiments are also in demand, with sugar selling out.

The Global Times also learned that many Shanghai residents have shared their shopping lists on social media platforms. In addition to food, many of them suggested buying disinfectant, common types of medicine and air fryers.

Since fresh vegetables are not easy to store, freeze-dried vegetables, which can be kept fresh for a long time by vacuum freeze-drying, have become popular. 

A resident in Chaoyang District surnamed Xu told the Global Times that he has placed an order for 20 bags of freeze-dried vegetables, including broccoli, okra and radishes.

The Beijing Municipal Commercial Affairs Bureau noted on Sunday that supplies of daily necessities are sufficient in the city. Experts said that there is no need for panic hoarding, and urged people to trust the city's ability to guarantee supplies.

Global Times