Gradual resumption dilutes fears of severe damage to supply chain

The worry that the global supply chain, especially of the auto industry, would be severely damaged by the sudden strike of the coronavirus, is being gradually mitigated as the world's second-largest economy steadily guides companies to resume operation with policy supports and boosting consumption. The novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak, first detected in the city of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, in December has already claimed the lives of more than 2,400 people worldwide with over 22,000 recovered cases in China as of Saturday. To reduce people gathering and block the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, most kinds of enterprises in China, except those in sectors such as utilities, medical appliances, drugs, supermarkets, and food, were not allowed to resume their work before midnight of February 9. Some provinces even postponed until February 17.