A staff member serves beer for customers during the 30th Qingdao International Beer Festival in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Aug. 16, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Wine and beer merchants across China are concerned about sales over the remaining months of 2021, as multiple beer festivals have been halted amid the latest flare-up of Delta variant in the country.

The 31st Qingdao International Beer Festival, the largest beer festival in China, and relevant events in East China's Shandong Province will come to an end early than originally scheduled, with visitors and tourists entering the venues for the rest of the events required to provide a negative nucleic acid within 24 hours, China Youth Daily reported on Monday. 

Meanwhile, beer festivals and wine exhibitions across the country in Xi'an, Northwest's Shaanxi Province, Linyi and Jinan, in East China's Shandong Province have been suspended or delayed, leading to concerns among local wine merchants as the second half of the year used to be a traditional peak season for wine and beer sales, Chinese finance media Yicai reported on Monday. 

Several provinces and regions in China have implemented strengthened prevention measures such as limiting group gatherings to less than 100 people, and requiring heightened safety measures for all public events.

The move came after the latest flare-up of the much transmissible Delta variant resurgence in China as more than 10 provinces and 20 cities across the nation reported locally transmitted infections as of Sunday.

Beer stocks overall rebounded on Monday, with the stock price for the Tsingtao Brewery, the second largest brewery in China, up 4.24 percent.