Tesla trying to keep production going in Shanghai unit as China faces new COVID-19 outbreak: Report

As China tightens measures to curb the latest COVID-19 outbreak, Tesla said on Thursday it was doing its best to keep production going at its Shanghai factory.

China's new COVID-19 cases more than doubled from the previous day on Tuesday as it faces by far its biggest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic.

The National Health Commission said 3,507 new locally spread cases had been identified in the latest 24-hour period, up from 1,337 a day earlier.

A fast-spreading variant known as 'stealth omicron' is testing China's zero-tolerance strategy, which has previously kept the virus at bay after a deadly initial outbreak in early 2020. Most of the new cases were in northeast China's Jilin province, where 2,601 were reported, ANI said.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that the US electric vehicle maker had suspended production at its Shanghai factory for two days, according to a notice sent internally and to suppliers, as China tightens measures to curb the country's latest outbreak.

"We are actively cooperating with the government's requirements for nucleic acid testing and other epidemic prevention requirements, and at the same time are doing our best to ensure production, overcoming difficulties together," the company said in a statement sent to Reuters.

(With inputs from Reuters, agencies)

Published on: Thursday, March 17, 2022, 09:52 AM IST