Millions of people in Beijing's largest district have taken their second COVID-19 tests this week as the Chinese capital tries to keep an outbreak of dozens from spiralling into a crisis that could force it into a distressing Shanghai-type lockdown.
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Evidence that the month-long isolation has become unbearable for many of the 25 million people in the Chinese commercial hub is emerging almost on a daily basis on the country's heavily censored internet.
A widely circulated video - since taken down - showed a foreigner trying to break through some metal barriers onto a street, before being pulled back and dragged onto the ground by four people in hazmat suits.
The man shouts repeatedly "I want to die" in Chinese and English. One of the people holding him down responds: "You came to China, you need to respect the laws and regulations here."
"Calm down, calm down," says another. Reuters was unable to immediately verify the authenticity of the video.
In Beijing, supermarkets have kept food and other supplies well-stocked under orders from authorities. Local officials also hoped early mass testing would spare them the drama in Shanghai, where officials waited for about a month as cases spiralled before ordering a city-wide screening campaign.
Beijing was testing the more than 3.5 million residents of its Chaoyang district on Wednesday, all of whom were also screened on Monday.
On Tuesday, 16 million from other districts were also tested and are due for another round on Thursday.
In total, 20 million of Beijing's 22 million will be tested three times by the end of the week.
It was unclear what percentage of those tests led to the detection of Beijing's 31 new cases on Tuesday, compared with the previous day's 33.
No deaths have been recorded in the capital so far.
As of Monday night, the results from 526,457 samples from Chaoyang available at the time came in negative. Officials have yet to publish all the results from Monday's test.
Shanghai officials reiterated on Wednesday they would soon begin loosening restrictions in districts that stamped out cases from their communities, without giving a timeframe or other details.
Meanwhile, most people are still either confined to their homes or cannot leave their residential compounds. Even those who can go out have few options, with shops and most other venues closed.
Data showed six of Shanghai's 16 districts had zero cases outside quarantined areas. Numbers for seven other districts were in the single digits. In total, Shanghai detected 171 such cases on Tuesday, down from Monday's 217.
Other cities that have been under lockdown began easing curbs once outside-quarantine cases hit zero.
Shanghai's prolonged isolation has fuelled frustration over lost income, family separation and quarantine conditions, as well as access to healthcare and food. For many, the regular tests present the only chance to open their front doors.
Australian Associated Press
