Ningbo port continues operation despite COVID-19 outbreak

The operation of port areas in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, part of Ningbo Zhoushan Port, has been working smoothly while following the strict COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures that have been implemented across the city's Beilun district.

According to the statistics released by Ningbo Zhoushan Port on Jan 5, the port had handled 366,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers in the first four days of 2022, equal to the same period from a year ago.

Beilun is home to many important port areas of Ningbo Zhoushan Port, including Meishan Port Area and Chuanshangang Port Area, but it has been closed since Jan 1 when a confirmed COVID-19 case was reported.

To ensure the port's operations, five green transportation channels were opened for container trucks getting in and out of port areas in the district. In addition, passes are being delivered to "whitelisted" drivers, who have tested negative twice during last three days, have green health codes, and haven't traveled to high- or medium-risk areas in the previous 14 days.

"It only took me no more than five minutes to apply for the pass," said Chen Ting, a container truck driver. "It is really convenient."

As of 8 pm on Jan 5, 10,135 passes have been delivered to drivers.

In addition, shipments have been accelerated using the sea-rail combined transport model, which refers to the mechanism where goods are first loaded onto trains to Ningbo before being transported overseas by sea and vice versa.

According to statistics, the volume of containers shipped via this model has increased 35.6 percent so far this year compared with the same period in 2021.