Shanghai blockade: From panic shopping to selling survival courses

Over the past week, Chinese media outlets and bloggers have published a series of guides to help people navigate the blockade. A popular medical website called Doctor Clove has published a list of items people will need if they are suddenly quarantined and advice on storing food for a long time.

On April 10, a trending topic on the Weibo social network “What should I prepare in case I suddenly receive a quarantine notice?” has attracted more than 41 million views with 14,000 comments.

Many bags of vegetables are waiting to be delivered in front of a supermarket in Guangzhou City. Photo: SCMP

Another popular post that went viral on Chinese social media advised households to stock up on essentials such as rice, cooking oil, drinking water, feminine hygiene products and toilet paper.

Worrying more, one blogger has even set up a survival group, selling disaster survival courses for 299 yuan (about 47 USD). Public concern has grown as reports of food shortages surfaced in Shanghai, where most of the 25 million residents have been staying indoors for a week or more.

An online store worker packs vegetables in Shanghai. Photo: Xinhua News Agency

According to the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), people said that most of the online ordering channels were out of stock and the distribution of food in the vicinity was interrupted.

Beijing-based Helena Zhang has bought nearly 20 kilograms of tomatoes, potatoes, lentils and mangoes in the past week but is worried it’s still not enough and is planning to buy more rice, flour and other necessities.

Ms. Zhang said some of her friends see no need to hoard food and believe the government can ensure food supplies at supermarkets, but the scene in Shanghai made her doubt it.

Empty shelves at a supermarket in Shanghai. Photo: AP

Ms. Zhang’s most recent bulk purchase was influenced by the chaotic situation in Shanghai and partly from her own experience when going through the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In southern China, there is also information about people buying goods massively. A woman in Guangzhou, Guangdong province said that when she went to a supermarket on the morning of April 10, many items were sold out and she noticed many food orders online.

Meanwhile, according to Reutersauthorities in the financial center of Shanghai said they will begin to lift the blockade in some areas from April 11 despite recording more than 25,000 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours.

Shanghai authorities said they would start lifting the blockade in some areas from April 11. Photo: Reuters

Shanghai official Gu Honghui said the city has classified residential units into three levels of risk. This allows residents in an area that hasn’t had a positive case for about 2 weeks to participate in some local activities.

According to Gu, Shanghai will “dynamically” adjust to the new system and pledged to make more efforts to minimize the impact of epidemic prevention measures on people in China’s most populous city.