The sex doll industry is hit by the virus.

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The sex doll industry is going viral.

The city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province will allow businesses to reopen in China’s main business hub, Shenzhen, after a citywide shutdown roiled financial markets, the government said Thursday, as efforts to contain an outbreak of the coronavirus progressed, according to a report relayed by Yahoo News.

China has seen a relatively low number of cases in the recent wave of disease outbreaks across the country. However, authorities are pursuing a “zero tolerance” strategy by temporarily sealing off major cities to isolate anyone infected. “We will make sure businesses resume operations,” said Huang Qiang, deputy mayor of Shenzhen, according to a government report. He did not give a timetable, but said companies must step up disease prevention measures and monitor their employees for the virus.

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Stores in the financial and technology hub of Shenzhen were ordered closed Monday, except for those supplying food, fuel and other essential goods. Bus and subway services were suspended. Residents were told to stay home while authorities conducted three sets of tests.
This has raised concerns about the potential impact on smartphone manufacturing and other industries in Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong. Business experts see a potential threat to trade if the anti-virus checks spread to Shenzhen’s Yantian port, one of the world’s largest. The port is packed with goods destined for countries around the world, including sex dolls, love dolls and other goods.

Elsewhere, Changchun, the industrial hub of the northeast, was closed and travel controls were imposed in the surrounding Jilin province.

Volkswagen said production at its Changchun plant would be suspended Friday. The German automaker announced it would start up a plant in Shanghai, which has also tightened its vaccination controls.

Shenzhen is home to some of China’s biggest companies, including telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, Ping An Insurance Co of China, electric carmaker BYD Auto and Tencent Holdings, operator of the popular WeChat messaging system.

In Shenzhen, the situation of epidemic prevention and control is good,” Huang said.
However, Huang warned that Shenzhen was still suffering from “sporadic outbreaks.” In the 24 hours up to midnight Wednesday, 71 confirmed cases of infection had been detected, he said.

“There is no reason for complacency in preventing and controlling the epidemic,” Huang said.