The iPhone manufacturing hub in Zhengzhou has shut down one of its most populous districts to tame a virus outbreak, with creeping restrictions across China underscoring the constant threat of disruption companies face as the country moves to Covid Zero. Nearly 1 million residents of Zhongyuan County have been ordered to stay at home since Monday, except when they have to undergo Covid testing, and non-essential businesses have been closed, according to a government announcement. The broader restrictions followed the lockdown of some neighborhoods last week, which caught many by surprise after officials said there would be no citywide lockdown. iPhone maker Foxconn Technology Group’s plants are not located in the area that was locked down. Company representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The city reported 6 new local cases on Sunday, down from a recent high of 40 on October 9. Nationally, the number of cases fell to 697, the lowest in two weeks, as outbreaks in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang came under control. Beijing reported 13 new cases and Shanghai 32.
China clings to pillars of lockdown and mass testing of Covid Zero to tame biggest outbreak in two months, despite high costs. The policy has dragged down growth in the world’s second-largest economy and roiled global supply chains as vital manufacturing hubs — from cars to phones to Christmas trees — struggle to break shutdowns and reopen.
President Xi Jinping on Sunday gave no indication of any imminent change in approach, disappointing investors who had hoped for some signs of easing. In a speech opening the party’s second congress in Beijing in a decade, he said the strict rules protect people’s lives, although Xi did not mention the economic toll. Economists forecast growth of just 3.3% this year, the second weakest pace in more than four decades.
Public discontent has also been fueled by strict Covid restrictions. Censorship went into overdrive late last week, with words like “Beijing” and “bridge” restricted on social media platforms like Weibo after two banners criticizing Xi and Covid Zero were displayed on a bridge in the capital. One read: “We want food, not PCR tests. We want freedom, not lockdowns and controls.”
While China’s most important cities have so far avoided widespread lockdowns, officials have instead quietly halted a growing list of activities. Several schools in Shanghai have suspended in-person classes as fears of the spread of the infection grow, according to parents and social media posts. The port city of Tianjin announced a district lockdown last week, and the southern city of Guangzhou closed schools in one area.
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