With more families staying at home during Spring Festival, the demand for vegetables surged. Liu Yanfei, general manager of TianAn Agriculture in Shunyi district, told The Beijing News that orders for vegetables are five to six times higher than normal.

The company supplies goods for 152 supermarkets and 36 communities in Beijing. The daily supply reached 60 metric tons at its peak during this year's Lunar New Year holiday, she said.

According to the Beijing Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the city is now producing 2,100 tons of vegetables every day to maintain supply.

Beijing's foreign affairs office released an open letter to expats in Beijing on Jan 31, recommending them to call 12345 for more information about the outbreak. Eight foreign languages are available: English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Arabic, with English service available 24 hours a day.

The office also suggested that expats seek prompt medical attention at fever clinics if they find themselves with symptoms of fever, cough, chest tightness or fatigue.