BEIJING, Nov 27(ABC): Local governments across China are rolling out policies to support businesses and residents amid the ongoing COVID-19 control, allowing virus-hit supermarkets to reopen sooner and reducing operating costs for struggling companies. The Chinese capital Beijing promised to expedite the reopening of shopping malls and supermarkets that sell livelihood-related products, as the latest effort to ensure the smooth operation of the city and the market while striving to corral the outbreak.
Speaking at a media conference on Thursday, Beijing municipal government spokesperson Xu Hejian said that such business outlets, if affected by the COVID-19 cases, are allowed to reopen after one day of required closure and disinfection, and will not be closed for more than three days. Responding to public concerns, the Beijing government will rev up support for residents who have to leave their closed-off compounds to seek medical services, Xu said. Garbage from high-risk areas will be taken care of, the official added. Municipal officials also said they had directed major e-commerce companies to stock up with three to five times the usual level of supplies so as to stabilize prices. On Friday, Beijing reported 586 locally transmitted confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,009 locally transmitted asymptomatic cases.
The latest outbreak has seen many restaurants and shops closed and residents advised to reduce unnecessary outings. In southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, which has registered more than 60,000 infections since Nov. 1, authorities organized retail companies to set up temporary stands outside the residential complexes that were under closed-off management. The government is also negotiating with e-commerce platforms to increase supplies while helping retailers resume business online after the closure of their physical shops, said Zhang Yongwu, head of the Chongqing municipal commission of commerce.
The Ministry of Commerce has pledged greater efforts to ensure the supply of daily necessities, especially for residents in areas hit hard by the COVID-19 resurgence. Ministry spokesperson Shu Jueting said that the ministry will continue to monitor the prices of necessities on a daily basis, arrange the release of meat reserves, and improve cross-regional coordination to ensure supplies. At present, the market supply of daily necessities across the country is generally sufficient, and the wholesale prices of pork, eggs and vegetables have all dropped from the levels at the beginning of the month, Shu added.