Tianjin, home to one of China’s biggest ports and a hub of international businesses, ordered a half-day break for mass COVID-19 testing, highlighting the threats of the Omicron variant on China’s economy and supply chains. All government agencies and companies in Tianjin were required to get a break on Wednesday afternoon to allow the second round of mass testing for all officials and employees.
Toyota Motor Corp. has suspended production in Tianjin since Monday to comply with the government’s mandated testing, according to a spokeswoman. Volkswagen AG has also shut its joint venture plants in recent outbreaks in Tianjin and Ningbo, another Chinese port city. Airbus said its assembly plant in Tianjin had not been affected by the restrictions.
Health authorities in Tianjin detected an omicron infection cluster in the southern part of the city. During its first round of mass testing of 14 million residents, a total of 97 people were tested positive. Tianjin port told state media Xinhua that it had tested thousands of workers while maintaining normal operations.
