China's Shenzhen shuts electronics market to fight Covid outbreak
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THE authorities in China’s southern city of Shenzhen shut the world’s largest electronics market of Huaqiangbei and suspended service at 24 subway stations on Monday (Aug 29) to curb an outbreak of Covid-19.
Three key buildings in the sprawling area, comprised of thousands of stalls selling microchips, telephone parts, and other components to manufacturers, will stay closed until Sep 2.
Local community officials confirmed Monday’s closure to Reuters; 3 people working there said building managers had told them to work from home.
Subway services at 24 stations in the central districts of Futian and Luohu were also halted, official local media reported.
In Futian, the seat of the city government, officials announced that cinemas, karaoke bars and parks would be closed, and large public events cancelled until Sep 2.
Covid-19-related border closures have hurt Huaqiangbei, which before the pandemic bustled with foreign entrepreneurs looking to source components in China.
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On Monday, the tech hub of nearly 18 million people reported 9 symptomatic and 2 asymptomatic cases from testing the previous day.
Covid-19 testing has become a feature of daily life in the city, with most public spaces and offices needing proof of a test within 48 hours for entry, or within 24 hours in areas deemed high risk.
While the city has avoided a blanket closure since a week-long lockdown in March, residents of individual compounds have undergone week-long quarantines when positive cases have been detected. REUTERS
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