Due to an outbreak of COVID-19 infections, companies in one of China’s key business regions have been forced to halt production, according to state media on Tuesday.
No fewer than 20 publicly traded companies said they had temporarily halted production in Zhejiang Province, affecting chemical firms, pharmaceutical firms, and machine manufacturers.
The authorities ordered the closures to prevent the virus from spreading further.
According to authorities, the outbreak in the eastern Chinese province, where more than 200 infections have been detected since December 5, is currently concentrated primarily in the cities of Ningbo, Shaoxing, and Hangzhou.
Since last year, China has largely prevented the spread of the coronavirus, but authorities acted quickly to contain recurring local outbreaks by imposing curfews and mass testing.
The measures are frequently disruptive to business, but the government claims that the damage would be far greater if cases spread throughout the country.
On Tuesday, China reported 51 new cases of the virus across the country.