Foxconn’s largest iPhone factory keeps Covid-19 lockdown as surrounding Zhengzhou district loosens some restrictions

Communities in the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone can return to ‘normal life’ if they have no new cases within seven days, the local government said

Many areas are still classified as ‘high risk’ as Apple’s largest manufacturer contends with a continued lockdown that has reduced production

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A man receives a nucleic acid test for Covid-19 in Zhengzhou, in China’s central Henan province, on July 31, 2021. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:00pm, 9 Nov 2022Updated: 12:54pm, 10 Nov 2022

The Zhengzhou city district that is home to the world’s largest iPhone factory has announced an end to a week-long lockdown for areas that do not include the Foxconn Technology Group-run facility.

As of noon on Wednesday, communities within the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone without any positive Covid-19 cases for seven consecutive days can return to “normal life”, the district said in a notice.

However, many areas within the district are still classified as “high risk”, and residents face restricted movement. People can only go out if they have a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result within the last day, according to the notice. A district-wide ban on dining in at restaurants is also still in place, and students must continue to attend courses online.

The area that surrounds the 5.6-million-square-metre factory of Foxconn, Apple’s largest contract manufacturer formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, has been labelled a “temporary control area to avoid spillover”. Residents there cannot leave their residential compounds, and they may be confined to their flats if there has been a new case in the past week.

The district did not specify how long these measures will remain in place. Foxconn did not respond to a request for comment.

The local government remains on guard for any possible re-emergence of the virus as it tries to stay in line with Beijing’s strict zero-Covid policy that has contributed to a slowing domestic economy.

Zhengzhou, capital of central Henan province, is just the latest to be hard-hit by Covid controls, but Foxconn’s massive facility, with nearly 300,000 workers at its peak, has made it a particular point of concern for the world’s largest technology company.