China imposes COVID lockdown on area around iPhone factory - DW (English)

Chinese authorities sealed disconnected an concern parkland successful the cardinal metropolis of Zhengzhou connected Wednesday after workers fled the installation to debar coronavirus restrictions. The country is location to the world's largest iPhone factory.

Officials from the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone successful Henan state said each people except COVID-prevention volunteers and indispensable workers "must not permission their residences but to person COVID tests and exigency aesculapian treatment."

Taiwanese tech elephantine Foxconn,  which owns the massive iPhone manufacturing works wrong the zone, told unit this week it would quadruple their bonuses if they remained astatine the factory after scores of workers fled.

Thousands of Foxconn employees person fled to debar COVID curbsImage: Hangpai Xingyang via AP/picture alliance

The section authorities said the concern area's residents would person to acquisition coronavirus investigating each day, informing that it would "resolutely ace down connected each kinds of violations."

China has persisted with its zero-COVID strategy to trim emerging outbreaks, contempt terrible disapproval and disruptions to commercialized and business. 

Foxconn workers fled connected foot

Since mid-October, Foxconn has been grappling with a coronavirus outbreak astatine its iPhone manufacturing facility, wherever immoderate 200,000 radical are employed. Workers determination person been locked successful to halt the microorganism from spreading further.  

Last week, images were circulated showing radical breaking retired of the Foxconn plant. Employees shared experiences online astir mediocre conditions and having to fly the mill connected ft to debar COVID transport restrictions, AFP quality bureau reported.

A root cited by Reuters said accumulation astatine the iPhone mill could driblet by 30% successful November and that the institution was moving to boost accumulation astatine different plants to trim the impact.

COVID outbreaks crossed China person led to tightening restrictions successful galore cities, adversely affecting the economy.

Data released connected Monday showed that Chinese mill enactment unexpectedly fell successful October, dragged down by debased planetary request and strict domestic curbs. Production, question and shipping person been affected. 

tg/nm  (AFP, Reuters)