Workers flee from Chinese iPhone factory amid a Covid lock-in

Workers are fleeing Foxconn’s iPhone manufacturing facility in Central China to escape Covid-19 restrictions that kept them from leaving for more than two weeks.

A Covid-19 outbreak occurred at Foxconn’s iPhone manufacturing compound and in the surrounding city of Zhengzhou earlier this month, which triggered containment protocols under China’s zero-Covid policy. As a result, the company introduced lock-in and closed-loop operations, meaning that workers were allowed to move only between their dorms and production lines. After videos surfaced of workers climbing fences and spilling onto roads outside the facility, Foxconn said it would not stop workers from leaving while following proper protocols.

Foxconn’s Zhengzhou facility employs over 200,000 workers, and some analysts estimate that roughly 10% of global iPhone production capacity may be affected by the outbreak. Per sources familiar with the matter, Foxconn plans to shift some iPhone production to other sites in China to maintain output levels.