Beijing hotel offering cheap stay to homeless delivery riders shut after Covid-19 case

BEIJING - A hotel in Beijing offering cheap rooms to homeless deliverymen has been closed temporarily after a rider staying there tested positive for Covid-19, even as the Chinese capital struggles with

a resurgence of infections.

Wugan Hotel owner Liu Yiying told The Straits Times: “When the order to shut came on Sunday, we immediately informed the guests, who were all delivery riders. They decided it was best that they leave the hotel to find their own lodging to avoid being locked down and losing their income.”

She expects to reopen the hotel soon, after getting approval. “The lockdown will not affect my decision to continue helping the homeless delivery riders,” she said. “I hope that more hotels can step up to help this group of essential service workers.”

The welfare of Beijing’s delivery riders

has been in the spotlight amid a stubbornly high number of Covid-19 infections in the city of some 22 million residents, despite harsh lockdown measures, as reliance on couriers grows.

Couriers have reported an 80 per cent increase in orders, while up to 30 per cent of delivery riders remain under lockdown and amid a rise of Beijing residents working from home, according to official statistics on Nov 28.

China, which is experiencing its worst wave of infections since the pandemic started three years ago, is the last country to stick to a zero-Covid policy, although

there have been signs of easing of late.

Ms Liu decided to let delivery riders stay at her hotel for 50 yuan (S$9) a night after noticing some riders sleeping rough on her way home from work on Nov 25. Previously, the lowest price was 200 yuan a night at Wugan.

“I saw the riders sleeping in warehouses, in their vehicles and in sub-zero temperatures. I just wanted to do my part and spread some warmth by offering them a better room rate,” she said.

She posted a notice on the hotel’s social media account on Nov 26, and on the same day, 11 delivery riders came to stay. By the next day, all 30 rooms were full.

Ms Liu said about 50 delivery riders would have stayed there before Sunday’s order to shut. “The calls from delivery riders kept coming. We had to turn a lot of people away,” she said.

To ensure guests’ safety, she doubled the number of times the rooms were disinfected after the delivery riders moved in. “We have to protect everyone’s safety – our staff as well as the riders.”

The authorities said at a regular news briefing on Nov 28 that rest stops with foldable beds have been set up in at least six branches of real estate company Lianjia in Chaoyang, Beijing’s largest district, for couriers who may need to rest in between orders or for short stays.

All 1,400 Lianjia branches in Beijing are open for delivery riders who want to use their toilets, charge their phones and heat up their meals.

Earlier, on Nov 22, an open call for help by delivery rider Mr Yang, who said he and some 15 other riders have been homeless in Beijing for at least three days, went viral.

Their residential compound went into lockdown, and their landlord urged them not to return due to the crowded living space.

After reading Mr Yang’s call on social media, netizens urged delivery companies such as Meituan, Alibaba’s Ele.me and SF Express to do right by their workers.

Mr Yang posted on Nov 23 that his employer had put him and his fellow homeless riders up at a hotel. He said he has since moved back to his rented unit after the lockdown was lifted, and declined to say more.