On the first day of reopening his tiny roasted sweet potato shop, Qiao Dong was having second thoughts.

Key points: Across Beijing, many small shops run by out-of-towners remain locked up

Across Beijing, many small shops run by out-of-towners remain locked up The epicentre of Hubei is not part of government plans to restart normality

The epicentre of Hubei is not part of government plans to restart normality China's smartphone shipments are estimated to be slashed by 30-50 per cent

The small businessman from eastern Shandong province managed to get back to Beijing in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, despite transport restrictions and official discouragement of any travel.

"Most people hanging around today are other shop owners, there are no actual customers," he said, in what would normally be a bustling downtown area full of office workers.

"My supplies are all from last year. Even if people were buying them, it's hard to get more delivered because of road controls."

Others think it's just not worth it.

"Even if we open, there won't be any business," said Li Yinping, a cocktail bar owner in Beijing, who says staff from outside the capital are holding off on returning.

Across Beijing and in cities around the nation, many small shops run by out-of-towners remain locked up — transport restrictions and official advice to stay home dissuading them from travelling back to work.

Subway trains were practically empty on the first day 'back to work' for China after the extended lunar year holiday. ( ABC: Steve Wang )

Factories in other provinces — primarily staffed by migrant workers — largely remain shut.

Even though a prolonged Lunar New Year holiday has finished, many office workers have been told to work from home.

The epicentre Hubei — where 97 per cent of all confirmed coronavirus cases have been diagnosed — is not part of government plans to restart normality.

There are more than 50 million people there and another 30 million under very similar forms of lockdown in Zhejiang province on the east coast, where local authorities have taken a more heavy-handed approach to movement than in most other provinces.

"We've been given clear instructions about staying in your house. If you need to do shopping, then only every third day one person can go out for an hour to buy essentials," said Lachlan Easom, an Australian teacher who lives in Zhejiang's capital Hangzhou.

China's Government is prioritising the epidemic response above the economy — locking down a province, restricting travel and encouraging residents across the country to avoid leaving their homes.

Transport restrictions and official advice to stay home has dissuaded most from travelling back to work. ( ABC: Steve Wang )

Many factories remain dormant due to a lack of workers.

Cinemas remain shut and have missed out on the busiest blockbuster period of the year.

Domestic tourism has been decimated with theme parks shut and tour groups cancelled.

Even gyms are closed, sparking a surge in online videos of home exercise tips.

Virus hits China's economy

The public messaging to stay indoors is in stark contrast to the focus on economic development that has been front and centre of China's model for two decades.

"It's hard to estimate because this isn't over yet, it depends how long it continues for, but so far the economic impact must be fairly significant," said Michael Pettis, a finance professor at Peking University in Beijing.

Across Beijing and in cities around the nation, many small shops run by out-of-towners remain locked up. ( ABC: Steve Wang )

Canalys, a market research firm, this week estimated China's smartphone shipments would be slashed by half in the first quarter.

Another firm, IDC, was more positive, estimating they'll drop by around 30 per cent — still a massive fall for the world's largest manufacturer.

Professor Pettis said despite signs everywhere that the economy had halted, China's Government would press on with a new annual GDP growth target likely to be around 6 per cent.

"What we may see is GDP growth for the first quarter down substantially, but then in subsequent quarters they'll likely significantly increase spending," he said.

But he said unlike in other countries, China's official GDP rate is only a measure of spending and investment inputs — and isn't an indicator of the overall health of the economy.

"If you want to know what the comparable GDP growth rate is you should take their official number and subtract by whatever you think should have been written down in that period," he said.

"That's the meaningful GDP figure, and that will be affected by the virus, there is no way around that."