Since last week, workers in the world’s largest iPhone factory in central China have not been allowed to leave the premises due to a corona outbreak. As a result, Foxconn workers climb over fences to escape. The authorities then completely seal off the industrial area.
After a corona outbreak in the world’s largest iPhone factory in central China’s Zhengzhou, authorities cordoned off the area around the factory. People are “not allowed to leave their homes – except to do corona tests and get emergency medical treatment,” said representatives of the industrial zone where Taiwanese iPhone maker Foxconn operates a plant. The area will be “statically managed” for seven days, it said.
The more than 600,000 residents of the industrial area have to be tested for the corona virus every day, the local government said and warned that it would “take decisive action against (…) violations”. Pictures emerged on Chinese online services last week showing people fleeing the plant, which employs hundreds of thousands of workers.
Workers complained online about the poor working conditions and about having to flee the factory on foot to avoid the barriers. On Tuesday, the iPhone maker offered its employees bonuses to encourage them to stay. The company said on the WeChat network that it would pay out 400 yuan ($60) per day of attendance.
More than 200,000 people work at the Foxconn factory in central China’s Zhengzhou. The Taiwanese company announced a “long fight” against the corona virus, but did not provide any information on the number of infected and quarantined employees. Rumors circulated on the Internet about tens of thousands of infections.
China still has a very strict zero-Covid policy. Lockdowns and company closures due to small corona outbreaks are putting a strain on the economy. Nevertheless, President Xi Jinping recently announced that he wanted to stick to the previous corona policy. According to official figures, more than 2,000 new cases were reported nationwide for the second day in a row.
