Global beverage giant weathers outbreak setback

The resumption of operations at the Coca-Cola bottling factory in Hubei province on March 21 signified the return of nearly all production for the bottling factories of the beverage giant in China, two months after the temporary closure of its production lines.

Starting with the initial resumption of a bottled water production line on March 15, the Coca-Cola facilities in the province, epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, have restarted manufacturing of Coca-Cola products in the following five days from the middle of March.

Hu Qianming, general manager of Hubei Swire Coca-Cola Beverages Ltd, said daily production capacity has reached 40 percent of the previous level, with nearly 50 percent of the production line personnel back at work and the staffing level reaching 90 percent rate in sales and logistics.