Malls in virus-hit Hebei capital Shijiazhuang shut

Supermarkets and shopping malls in Shijiazhuang city, capital of North China's Hebei province, have suspended offline operations and switched to online sales, receiving online orders and undergoing contactless delivery to ensure the residents' basic daily supplies are met during their stay at home, local authorities announced on Sunday amid the latest  coronavirus outbreak in the city, the state media reports.

So far, more than 51 online platforms have promised to provide various essential services to local residents, the Global Times said.
The latest outbreak in Hebei continued as the province reported another 46 confirmed patients and 13 asymptomatic people on Sunday, some of whom had been to weddings, fever clinics, school canteens and funerals.

The outbreak in Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital close to Beijing, comes four weeks before the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday. With the festival comes an elevated traffic load by migrant workers to go back for family reunion.

Shijiazhuang has already stopped sales of train tickets to all other cities. The city has also required locals to stay at home for another seven days to curb the spread of the virus.-Photo: Xinhua