Front line workers at internet giants in Beijing tested for coronavirus after second wave hits nation’s capital
- Ride-hailing company Didi said it has nine epidemic prevention stations where drivers can get their cars disinfected for free
- Meituan delivery personnel who have been to high-risk zones will stop accepting orders and are required to be tested and stay under home quarantine for 14 days
Delivery service providers and ride-sharing companies have said their front line workers in Beijing are receiving nucleic acid tests for Covid-19 to eliminate consumer concerns as the nation’s capital returns to a partial lockdown in the wake of a second wave of infections of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Under the guidance of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, all newly joined and existing Didi drivers will receive nucleic acid testing [and] the fee will be fully covered by Didi,” Kevin Chen, president of Didi Chuxing's ride hailing business group, said on his Weibo account last week.
The ride-hailing company said it has nine epidemic prevention stations where Didi drivers can get their cars disinfected for free. Didi also said it will continue installing protective plastic sheets between the driver and passenger seats in vehicles in Beijing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Separately, delivery giant Meituan Dianping said it will ensure that all of its couriers in Beijing are tested for the coronavirus as required by the government. Delivery personnel who have been to high-risk zones in the city will stop accepting orders and are required to be tested and stay under home quarantine for 14 days.
In an updated version of the Meituan app coming out this week, users will be able to check the test results of couriers and restaurant staff.
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Meituan’s rival Ele.me announced similar measures last week on its WeChat official account, adding that the first batch of testing results showed negative for Covid-19. Ele.me is owned by Alibaba Group, the parent company of South China Morning Post.
JD.com, China’s No 2 e-commerce operator, said more than 2,000 staff, including delivery men, truck drivers and warehouse personnel handling fresh produce, have been tested for Covid-19, while remaining staff will be tested in batches as soon as possible.
In a race to combat the possible second wave, almost 2.3 million people in Beijing – about 10 per cent of the city’s population – were tested between June 13 and Friday, the municipal government said on Sunday. The samples were collected by close to 7,500 medical workers at 2,100 sites.
