China’s capital Beijing is enforcing mass testing and closing down access to neighbourhoods as it seeks to contain a new COVID-19 outbreak.

Announcement of the testing had sparked panic buying in the city of 21 million on Monday, but the situation appeared to calm on Tuesday with public transport largely keeping to normal schedules and roads packed with commuters.

Fears of total lockdown have been fed by the situation in the southern business hub of Shanghai, where 25 million residents have only gradually been allowed to leave their homes after three weeks of confinement.

Shanghai has buckled under strict lockdown conditions that have driven residents to band together to get food delivered through group buying.