New covid cases send Shanghai into partial lockdown
Shanghai will go into partial lockdown this weekend after six new cases were found in China’s largest city, home to the world’s largest container port.
New lockdown restrictions have been imposed on seven districts with millions of people set for mass covid testing, shortly after China’s financial hub reopened after more than a two-month shutdown.
The temporary lockdown will cover Minhang, Pudong, Huangpu, Jing’an, Xuhui, Hongkou and Baoshan districts. Four of the six cases were reportedly found in Minhang, a district of some 2.5m in the southwest of Shanghai. The district of Minhang will be closed on Saturday, while the other districts have not stated how long their lockdowns will run.
As Shanghai’s lockdown damaged supply systems and hindered foreign trade, the possibility of further restrictions looms over the whole city. Although China’s infection rate is low by global standards, Beijing has doubled down on a zero-covid policy, prompting many manufacturers to consider moving their operations out of the country.
“This will add further weight to the discussions already ongoing with some importers as to begin a risk diversification of production – i.e. reduce the amount of goods produced in China and shift to other locations (likely elsewhere in Asia),” Lars Jensen, CEO of liner consultancy Vespucci Maritime, stated via LinkedIn.
