Delivery and ride-hailing service providers in Beijing, including on-demand platform Meituan Dianpin (HKEX: 3690), Alibaba’s food delivery unit Ele.me, and ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing, are testing all their delivery persons and drivers for COVID-19, following the capital’s second wave of recent new cases.
Didi, under the guidance of the Beijing Transport Commission, has started providing free nucleic acid tests for all existing and new drivers in the city since June 19, while it has also reestablished some previous measures, such as the use of plastic sheets between front and back seats of vehicles, Didi’s president Kevin Chenxi posted on Weibo.
At the same time, Meituan suspended the activity of deliverymen who worked in high-risk areas, while an all-encompassing testing campaign is ongoing, the company said via its official account on WeChat. Ele.me took similar actions, testing their staff while tightening disinfection methods. The firm announced on Weibo on June 20 that the first batch of COVID-19 tests produced no positive results.
On Monday morning, Beijing reported nine new cases of COVID-19 in the city, bringing the tally to 236 cases within ten days. The city’s new outbreak is reportedly linked to Xinfadi market, a seafood wholesale location in the southeast of the capital city.
This article is part of KrASIA’s “China Brief” section, where KrASIA’s reporters will provide quick daily updates about the tech ecosystem in China.