Guangzhou Fruit Wholesale Market updated the anti-Covid regulations on the 6th of April in response to changes in the local situation. All employees who enter the market are required to have a negative PCR test no older than 48 hours (this was previously no older than 7 days). And all the employees in the market require testing.
The streets around the market were impossible to navigate on the 7th of April due to traffic jams. The pace of traffic near the market gate was extremely slow. One trader explained that their regular travel time of ten minutes by car turned into nearly two hours. Some people had to leave their cars in different car parks and continue on foot. And traders who had to receive or deliver goods that day experienced extreme delays of several hours. One trader said that their truck waited the entire evening and could not reach the loading dock until midnight. By the time the truck was loaded and ready for departure, it was already four o'clock in the morning. The following day fewer visiting traders arrived because the traffic problems were still not solved, but trading activities continued uninterrupted.
There are several reasons for the traffic jams, according to local traders. First, some wholesale markets, like the one in Shanghai, have been temporarily closed to prevent further Covid-19 outbreaks. Visiting traders shifted their attention to Guangzhou instead, and the increase in visitor numbers led to traffic jams. Second, the regulations were adjusted and some of the traders and drivers could not meet the new requirements. They had to park near the market and figure out a way to meet the requirements. The people did not flow through as usual, so their numbers suddenly increased. That was another reason for the traffic jams.
Only on the 8th of April did they slowly dissolve. The traffic flow near the market has now returned to normal levels.
While traffic outside was jammed, business inside continued as usual. On the 9th of April, regulations were again adjusted. Employees who visit the market now have to show a negative PCR test that is less than 24 hours old.