Ningbo COVID-19 flare-ups prompt supply chain disruption fears

Five new cases of COVID-19 reported in the Chinese city of Ningbo have prompted further fears of disruption from the city’s major port.

The new cases reported on 7 December join the three reported cases in its Zhenhai district on 6 December.

State media reported that Ningbo authorities upgraded its emergency response to the highest level at 2am local time on 7 December, in addition to imposing a temporary closure of the Zhenhai district to curb the spread.

The Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan was rocked earlier this year by COVID-19 outbreaks as a terminal at the port downed operations, slowly restarting by the end of August 2021.

The Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, which processed 26.7 million TEU from January to October 2021, is a critical container hub in the East China region.