Officials in southern China’s Shenzhen city closed the world’s biggest electronics market, Huaqiangbei, and suspended service at 24 subway stations on Monday in a bid to contain an outbreak of Covid-19. .
Three key buildings in the sprawling area, made up of thousands of stalls selling microchips, phone parts and other components to manufacturers, will remain closed until September 2.
Local community officials confirmed Monday’s closure to Reuters, while three people working there said managers had told them to work from home.
Metro services at 24 stations in the central Futian and Luohu districts were also stopped, according to official local media.
In Futian, the seat of the municipal government, authorities announced that cinemas, karaoke bars and parks would be closed and major public events canceled until September 2.
As of Monday, the technology center of nearly 18 million people reported nine symptomatic and two asymptomatic cases in tests the day before.
Covid-19 testing has become a feature of everyday life in the city, with most public spaces and offices needing proof of testing within 48 hours of entry or within 24 hours in areas deemed high risk.
China reported 1,696 new Covid-19 infections on Sunday, of which 352 were symptomatic and 1,344 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Monday.
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
