Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics company that assembles Apple’s iPhones, said Monday that its factories in Shenzhen, China, would suspend operations after the city imposed a seven-day coronavirus lockdown.
Shenzhen borders Hong Kong, which has reported nearly 3,780 Covid-19 deaths and nearly 700,000 new cases since the end of January. While the number of infections in the rest of China remains low compared to the rest of the world, the number of reported cases is growing rapidly. China’s National Health Commission reported 3,122 new cases on Sunday, about double the number on Saturday and three times as many on Friday.
Shenzhen, an electronics manufacturing center with a population of 17 million, reported 66 new cases on Sunday. It will close most businesses and public transportation in the city and require non-essential workers to stay at home.
In a statement, Foxconn said it “had adapted the production line” to other factories in China to minimize the impact and that it would require all employees to do PCR testing.
The Shenzhen government will determine when the factory, the size of a medium-sized city, can reopen, the company said.
Shenzhen’s lockdown could disrupt global supply chains. An outbreak in the city last year halted port operations, leading to a rise in global shipping rates and the prices of many goods.
