China confines half a million people due to Covid-19 outbreak

Zhejiang, an industrial and export hub on the east coast, reported 44 of the 51 cases of Covid-19 due to direct contagion detected on Tuesday, bringing infections to almost 200 since last week.

Beijing.- The province of Zhejiang, An economic engine in China, registered an outbreak of Covid-19 on Tuesday that forced authorities to confine half a million people and close businesses in several districts.

Zhejiang, an industrial and export hub on the east coast, reported 44 of the 51 cases of Covid-19 due to direct contagion detected on Tuesday, bringing infections to almost 200 since last week.

Although the number of infections in China is minuscule compared to other major economies, authorities in Zhejiang have carried out mass testing and targeted lockdowns to deal with the outbreak, as Beijing prepares to host the Winter Olympics in February.

More than 540 people were confined in Zhejiang, authorities said.

Chinese media reported on Monday that China detected the first case of the omicron variant of the virus in the northern city of Tianjin.  

In recent days, some districts in Ningbo, Zhejiang's main port, and the neighboring city of Shaoxing said they would also suspend some commercial operations.

In Zhenhai, a district of Ningbo with a large petrochemical base, all companies considered non-critical had to close, and petrochemical producers had to reduce production.

Several companies in the provincial capital Hangzhou also announced the suspension of production.

Meanwhile, hundreds of flights from Hangzhou were canceled on Tuesday.

Zhejiang is one of the Chinese provinces with the highest GDP and exports.

“The closure of the Zhejiang factories will impact the supply chain of several sectors, especially fibers and textiles,” Zhaopeng Xing, head of China at ANZ Research, told AFP.

He considered that the impact will be similar to what happened in September and October, when China applied energy rationing to deal with electricity shortages.

Texto/información: https://www.eluniversalqueretaro.mx/mundo/china-confina-medio-millon-de-personas-por-brote-de-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR3M5xhRRbr3YJxFAxCjsbWrIOoTlIDZiCtzr-34blAK7URs-2ynDu9A1fQ