Beijing residents clear out grocery stores amid lockdown rumours as COVID cases surge
ABCResidents of some parts of China's capital Beijing have emptied store shelves and overwhelmed delivery apps, as the city government ordered faster construction of quarantine centres and field hospitals to cope with a surge in COVID-19 cases. Key points: COVID-19 cases have soared to record levels in China in recent days Some Beijing residents have been advised not to leave their compounds The government has ordered the building of quarantine centres to be sped up Unconfirmed reports of lockdowns in some Beijing districts on Friday fuelled demand for supplies, something not seen in the city for months. An increase in demand combined with worker shortages left some customers unable to book same-day delivery slots from popular online grocery services such as Alibaba's Freshippo and Meituan Maicai. Accelerated build City government spokesperson Xu Hejian said it was necessary "to strengthen the management and service guarantee" of quarantine centres where positive COVID-19 cases and close contacts are taken by police.