Shenzhen Airport Cancels Hundreds Of Flights Amid New COVID Cases

The southern coastal province of Guangdong appears to be the epicenter of new coronavirus cases as Shenzhen airport has canceled hundreds of flights and tightened entry controls. 

Shenzhen health officials said a restaurant employee at Shenzhen Baoan International Airport had been infected with the “Delta strain, a variant described as fast-spreading, with a high viral load and a short incubation period,” according to South China Morning Post. 

The woman tested positive during a test for airport staff conducted Thursday, according to health officials. 

China on Friday reported 30 new infections, including six local transmissions in the southern province of Guangdong, where Shenzhen is located.

As we’ve noted, infections at neighboring Yantian International Container Terminal, a deepwater port in Shenzhen, about an hour east of the airport, has been operating at 40% capacity after a recent surge in infections. This has resulted in significant port congestion. The world’s largest container line, Maersk, warned last week congestion at Yantian is worse than the shutdown of the Suez Canal in March.

Data from flight tracker VariFlight shows 400 inbound and outbound flights were canceled Friday. More are expected Saturday. 

Chen Bin, deputy director of Guangzhou’s health commission, said there was still an elevated threat of a community outbreak. He warned against an easing of lockdown measures and said residents in locked-down areas would be tested regularly to prevent a spread. 

So if you were hoping the logistical nightmare in China would be over in the intermediate timeframe, think again. 

More than 60,000 factories are situated in Guangdong, and about a third of China’s exports and one-third of the world’s production of shoes, textiles, and toys move through airports and seaports in the region.