COVID-19 Catch-Up: Shipping Trouble in Shunyi, Rideshares Require Health Codes
Shipping troubles to and from Shunyi
With Shunyi as Beijing’s ground-zero for the latest outbreak, it was no surprise when every neighborhood in the district began banning delivery drivers from entering, forcing residents to pick up their express and waimai deliveries at the gate. But what we didn’t expect was that within the first few days of 2021, residents and businesses would begin reporting major delays, or in some cases a downright inability to send or receive express shipping.
In the absence of an official statement or policy on the situation, it’s difficult to put together a clear of the extent to of shipping restrictions, but according to Beijing Youth Daily, nearly all major express companies, with the exception of SF Express and EMS, have temporarily shut down a portion of their Shunyi-based shipping nodes, which seems to explain at least part of the delays.
Meanwhile, plenty of no-contact shipping is still underway in the district, but many e-commerce vendors are warning Shunyi-based customers that they cannot guarantee when a product will reach them.
Health code now required in rideshares
Beginning today, Jan 11, all ridesharing apps like Didi Chuxing and Huaxiaozhu will require passengers to scan with the Beijing Health Kit app when boarding the car within Beijing.
The regulation was announced yesterday at the city’s 206th epidemic press conference, which reiterated that all rideshare drivers must wear masks and check their temperature before operating the vehicle and also stipulated that all drivers receive a nucleic acid test. Officials at the conference also reminded city residents that the government is still looking for passengers who rode in the car with the license plate 京P18E77 and asks that anyone who did so should self-report.
As for Shunyi, the latest orders will suspend drivers who reside within the district and will prevent any rideshares from going into the district, with the exception of rides to Capital Airport (which, while surrounded by Shunyi, is technically part of Chaoyang district).
The new rules come following fears that infected people may have ridden in several rideshare cars.
READ: Waimai Drivers, F&B Workers in Beijing Begin the Vaccination Process
Image: Vic Yang
