Operations at Ningbo Meishan port terminal is gradually restarting, two weeks since a staff tested positive for Covid-19, prompting suspension of operations from August 11.

The first few vessels have been allowed to depart and arrive at the Meishan container terminal of the Ningbo-Zhoushan port complex — with full operations expected to resume by the end of the month.  

In a customer advisory, CMA CGM confirmed that operations have restarted, stating that their two vessels, the CMA CGM Rivoli and CMA CGM Samson, which had been at the terminal, were allowed to resume cargo operations beginning August 18.

Both ships departed Ningbo over the weekend sailing to Yantian, China.

CMA CGM also said its vessel, CMA CGM Elbe, which had been anchored in Ningbo since August 16 after arriving from Qingdao, was allowed to move to the Meishan terminal on August 23 to begin cargo operations.

"Since 18th August, Mei Shan Island International Container Terminal (MSICT) has resumed partial vessel operations – we expect a gradual return to full operations in the coming weeks," the shipping line said on August 20. 

Yard operations remain suspended

In its customer update, CMA CGM, also advised that despite the partial resumption, yard operations remained suspended at that moment.

It said three of its containerships — CMA CGM Concorde, CMA CGM Mundra, and CMA CGM Lekki — would be omitting calls at Ningbo-Zhoushan this week while seven others were expected to divert to alternate terminals including Beilun Container Terminal, Daxie China Merchants International Container Terminal, and Yongzhou Terminal.

"The yard remains closed to container movements in and out until further notice," CMA CGM added.

Ningbo-Zhoushan port — the world’s third busiest port — began to turn ships away on the morning of August 11.