Covid In China, the lockdown will last until November 9, according to a statement posted to the local government’s WeChat account.
China has ordered a seven-day lockdown of the area surrounding Foxconn’s main plant in Zhengzhou, which houses the world’s largest iPhone factory. The lockdown, which will last until November 9, was imposed after the number of Covid cases in Zhengzhou increased to 359 on Tuesday, up from 95 the day before.
The local government said no vehicles are allowed to operate except those carrying necessities, and that everyone except Covid-prevention volunteers and essential workers “must not leave their residences except to receive Covid tests and emergency medical treatment.”
People were seen breaking out of Foxconn’s facility in videos widely shared on social media. Several employees complained about the factory’s poor conditions and having to flee on foot to avoid Covid transport curbs.
The lockdown reflects China’s zero-tolerance approach to outbreak control, and it is likely to further disrupt Foxconn’s main operations base. Foxconn, a Taiwanese company, quarantined some of its 200,000 employees and forced others to flee the facility.
The lockdown will make it more difficult to recruit and hire new employees, as well as ship production materials to keep operations running.
