China's Shanghai Denies Lockdown Rumours As It Nears 1,000 Covid Cases
NDTV
Coronavirus China: The lockdown rumours in Shanghai triggered panic buying late on Tuesday night, with slots on Alibaba's "Freshhippo" delivery app running out a minute after midnight.
Authorities in the Chinese city of Shanghai have denied rumours of a city-wide lockdown after a sixth straight increase in daily asymptomatic coronavirus cases pushed its count to record levels despite a campaign of mass testing aimed at stifling the spread.
The latest outbreak in China's wealthy commercial hub remains tiny by global standards but authorities are proceeding with the testing campaign that has seen many people locked in residential compounds for days as the city implements a national "dynamic clearance" policy aimed at stamping out flare-ups as they arise.
Total local COVID-19 infections in Shanghai approached 1,000 on Tuesday, but the city said late in the day it would stick to its "slicing and gridding" approach and screen its citizens neighbourhood by neighbourhood rather than shut down entirely.
The lockdown rumours triggered panic buying late on Tuesday night, with slots on Alibaba's "Freshhippo" delivery app running out a minute after midnight.
