Shanghai Ikea customers flee as officials attempt to lock down store

The spontaneous lockdown of an Ikea store in Shanghai, China, due to COVID-19 over the weekend sparked panicked customers to flee in fear, according to a viral video purportedly showing the incident.

Footage circulating online shows officials attempting to close the doors on a crowd of people who ultimately overpowered the authorities and were able to escape.

The Telegram reported that Zhao Danda, the deputy director of Shanghai's Health Commission, confirmed that a sudden lockdown of the Ikea store was prompted after a visitor of the location was determined to be a close contact of a 6-year-old boy who tested positive for COVID-19.

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According to the outlet, visitors at the store posted online that some customers who were unable to escape were locked into the building for several hours before being taken to hotels for quarantine. 

Ikea confirmed to FOX Business that its Shanghai Xuhui store "was temporarily closed on August 14 and 15" in "response to the epidemic prevention guidelines from the authorities."

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The company said that the store was reopened on Aug. 16, and apologized "for any inconvenience this may have caused."

China continues to maintain its ongoing "zero-COVID" strategy with aggressive testing, tracking, and targeted lockdowns of buildings and neighborhoods in an effort to control the virus.

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Earlier this year, the entire city of Shanghai was locked down for two months, barring its 25 million residents from leaving their homes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.