Photos show Hong Kong residents buying out supermarkets amid fears of a COVID lockdown, in scenes reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic

In scenes reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic, long lines formed at supermarkets across the city, while others went online to stockpile essential items, per the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The frenzy began after Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan said in a radio program on Monday that the government is considering the possibility of a city-wide lockdown, per the SCMP.

This comes after Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said last week that there would not be a lockdown when the city begins its universal testing scheme in March.

All 7.4 million residents will be required to undergo testing three times this month, officials previously announced.

Hong Kong has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, reporting a record 34,466 cases on Monday.

Hong Kong newspaper Sing Tao Daily, citing unnamed sources, said mass testing will begin after March 17 and that a lockdown will be imposed "for maximum effectiveness."

South China Morning Post, citing a source familiar with the situation, reported that authorities are planning to shorten the testing period from the original proposed 15 or 21 days, down to nine days.

"We are still deliberating different scales of lockdown," the source told SCMP. "Exemptions will be granted for personnel responsible for maintaining essential services."

Canned food, fruit and frozen dumplings were also in short supply, the outlet said.

Despite seeing news about the panic buying, marketing manager Queenie Leung, 37, told Insider she does not feel compelled to stock up on food herself.

"Reports say that even if there is a lockdown, we'll still be able to go out and buy food from the supermarket," she said.

The Hong Kong Economic Times reported that residents will still be allowed to leave their homes to buy food, citing unidentified people.

A wet market butcher surnamed Lai told SCMP that he has not received any fresh pork since Friday, and had to sell tofu and other soy products instead.

"It's the worst I've ever seen in 20 years of business," the 42-year-old said.

"There are many poor people who live in tiny spaces in Hong Kong. If there is a lockdown and they're cooped up, it'll be really terrible for them," she said.

Leung, the marketing manager, echoed the same fear.

"I hope that they let restaurants open for takeaways because some Hong Kong families don't even have proper kitchens to cook in," Leung said. "Many people live in tiny homes."

Property prices are extraordinarily high in the city, forcing some residents to live in "cage homes" and wood-partitioned cubicles.

Panadol, a popular brand of the pain and fever reliever, was sold out at many local chain pharmacies, per Bloomberg.

Earlier this month, health expert Dr Yuen Kwok-yung recommended that COVID patients with mild symptoms to stay home and recover by "drinking more water and taking Panadol."

Meanwhile, flu medicines such as Mucinex, Fluimucil, and Fortune Coltalin were also out of stock, per Bloomberg.

"When other places in the world are lifting Covid restrictions, I can't believe we're going through this now," Lau told Insider.