As European car production plants grind to a halt and Ireland comes to terms with a tough social distancing regime in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, a glimpse of a more positive future has been provided by Volvo Cars in the Far East after it said its Chinese business had returned to normal.

Chief executive Hakan Samuelsson has confirmed that factories and dealerships in China are now operating at pre-shutdown levels. He told the Financial Times, “All factories are back, and there are very positive signs of normalisation, all dealerships are open and showrooms are showing signs of being very close to normal. Everybody has the feeling they are through.”

All major European and US car makers have now ceased production, but the move by Volvo in China shows that there is a way ahead. China first reported the coronavirus outbreak in December last year and took the kind of stringent social distancing measures we are now seeing in Ireland on a widespread basis in January. The fact that industrial production and commerce are now returning to some element of normality at least provides a glimmer of optimism for Europe.