China Locks Down Almost 1 Million People Near iPhone Factory

tech.hindustantimes.com:

The iPhone manufacturing hub of Zhengzhou locked down one of its most-populated districts to tame a virus flareup, with creeping restrictions throughout China underscoring the constant threat of disruption companies face while the country sticks to Covid Zero.

Almost 1 million residents of Zhongyuan district were ordered to stay at home starting Monday, except for when they need to undergo Covid testing, and non-essential businesses have been shut, according to a government notice. The wider restrictions follow the lockdown of some neighborhoods last week, catching many people by surprise after officials had said there wouldn't be a citywide lockdown.

iPhone maker Foxconn Technology Group's plants aren't located in the district that's been locked down. Representatives for the company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Bloomberg News.

The city reported 6 new local cases for Sunday, down from a recent peak of 40 on Oct 9. Nationwide, cases declined to 697, the lowest in two weeks, as outbreaks in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang came under control. Beijing posted 13 new cases, and Shanghai had 32.

China is sticking to the Covid Zero pillars of lockdowns and mass testing to tame its biggest flareup in two months, despite the heavy cost. The policy has dragged on growth in the world's second-biggest economy and roiled global supply chains as important manufacturing hubs -- from cars, to phones and Christmas trees -- contend with the disruption of shutdowns and reopenings.

President Xi Jinping on Sunday signaled no looming change to the approach, disappointing investors who had hoped for some signs of loosening. During a speech opening the twice-a-decade Party Congress in Beijing, he said the strict