China is racing to quash a new virus flareup that risks spilling over into one of its most economically significant regions, raising the specter of disruptions that could roil global supply chains for solar panels, medicines and semiconductor chips, reports Bloomberg.
Infections have surged in Si county in the eastern province of Anhui, with officials reporting 287 cases for Sunday and nearly 1,000 since late last week. Authorities locked down Si and a neighboring county late last week to try and stop the virus from spreading to nearby Jiangsu, the second biggest contributor to China’s economic output and a globally important manufacturing hub for the solar sector.
But cases there are already increasing. The city of Wuxi, a biotech hub, reported 35 infections and suspended dine-in services at restaurants and closed entertainment venues. Zhejiang province and Shanghai have also reported Covid-positive patients, fueling concerns about the broader impact across the Yangtze River Delta region that accounts for a quarter of China’s economy.