Workers leave iPhone factory in Chinese city of Zhengzhou amid COVID curbs - Stars and Stripes

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HONG KONG — Workers successful a manufacturing installation successful the cardinal Chinese metropolis of Zhengzhou look to person near to debar COVID-19 curbs, with galore traveling connected ft for days aft an chartless fig of employees were quarantined successful the installation aft a microorganism outbreak.

Videos circulating connected Chinese societal media platforms showed radical who are allegedly Foxconn workers climbing implicit fences and carrying their belongings down the road.

The Foxconn works successful Zhengzhou, Henan province, is 1 of the largest factories successful China that assembles products for Apple Inc., including its latest iPhone 14 devices.

Not each the videos that showed workers purportedly leaving the installation could beryllium verified. It is unclear if the workers leaving the installation had escaped oregon if they were allowed to leave.

Foxconn did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Volunteers from adjacent villages enactment retired nutrient and drinks for the Foxconn workers. One specified volunteer, who asked to beryllium identified lone by his surname Zhang retired of privateness concerns, was enactment successful complaint of distributing supplies that his colony successful Xingyang region had prepared. He said that the radical shown successful a video helium uploaded to the short-video level Douyin were Foxconn workers due to the fact that they would person to instrumentality that roadworthy if they were leaving the facility.

The workers' exodus comes aft reports that Foxconn had placed a fig of workers nether quarantine pursuing a COVID-19 outbreak successful the factory.

The Foxconn installation successful Zhengzhou tin accommodate up to 350,000 mill workers, but it is not wide however galore are presently employed by the factory. It is besides unclear however galore of them person left, oregon however galore were affected by COVID-19 curbs implemented successful the mill anterior to their departure.

Earlier this week, media reports said that a "closed-loop" strategy had been implemented successful the mill that mostly restricts workers to movements betwixt their residence and the plant.

Local media reports said that Foxconn workers complained of mediocre nutrient prime and a deficiency of aesculapian attraction for those who tested affirmative amid increasing concerns that the corruption could beryllium spreading. The institution besides denied rumors that 20,000 radical successful the works had been infected with COVID-19.

Cities adjacent Zhengzhou person since urged Foxconn workers to study to section authorities if they person plans to instrumentality to their hometowns truthful they tin acquisition due isolation measures.

According to posts connected the Zhengzhou government's nationalist WeChat account, Foxconn issued notices Sunday to workers astatine its factory, pledging to guarantee the safety, morganatic rights and income for those consenting to stay.

A time aft videos circulated of workers leaving the factory, Foxconn and respective section governments person besides arranged proscription for employees who take to instrumentality home. It is not wide however overmuch bureau the workers had successful deciding to permission the factory.

The departure of Foxconn workers from the Zhengzhou works highlights the increasing discontent successful China's "zero-COVID" strategy, wherever governments effort to stamp retired outbreaks by implementing strict isolation and lockdown measures wherever infections are detected.

AP video shaper Liu Zheng successful Beijing contributed to this report.