Shenzhen to allow 'orderly' resumption of business activities

BEIJING • China's technology hub of Shenzhen will allow firms to resume work in an "orderly" manner, after the restriction of non-essential businesses in an effort to contain an outbreak of Covid-19, a city official said yesterday.

Shenzhen, close to Hong Kong, reported 71 new local confirmed transmissions on Wednesday, up from 55 the previous day. While the outbreak is small by international standards, the authorities are leaving nothing to chance.

National officials have warned that virus control is becoming increasingly difficult with more than two dozen regions reporting infections recently. They called for various measures under the "dynamic" zero-Covid-19 policy to be implemented more strictly and vigilantly.

"On condition that the epidemic prevention and control work is done well, enterprises will resume production in an orderly way based on region and category," Mr Huang Qiang, deputy secretary-general of the Shenzhen municipal government, told a news briefing, without providing details or a specific timeline.

"We should be aware that the new daily case numbers so far have remained relatively high," he added. "There must be no loosening or slackening in virus control and prevention work."

Shenzhen aimed to test all of its residents three times by yesterday. It has suspended bus and subway services and all non-essential economic activity in a week-long containment programme it described as "slow living". Supermarkets, pharmacies and medical institutions were among the few businesses allowed to open, the government said.

Firms with employees living and working within strictly sealed-off campuses are allowed to operate, the Shenzhen government had said on Monday.

Major firms in the city are already feeling the effects.

Apple Inc supplier Foxconn plans to put its Shenzhen campus in a Covid-19 "bubble" that will allow it to resume production until at least Sunday, according to an internal document seen by Reuters.

United Parcel Service also suspended all pickup, delivery and self-pickup services in Shenzhen and neighbouring Dongguan after strict restrictions were imposed to curb the outbreak.

Dongguan, which has restricted vehicle access to some highway sections, ordered companies in areas with flare-ups to suspend operations for the week until Monday, while those in other areas could maintain production on sealed campuses.

Huizhou, next to Dongguan and Shenzhen, has also temporarily halted non-essential business interactions and cargo transport with the two cities.

REUTERS