China locks down as Covid re-emerges
China has reported a record number of Covid infections, with cities shuttering and lockdowns in place.
The resurgence has thrown President Xi Jinping’s zero-Covid strategy under renewed scrutiny and prompted the most extreme antilockdown protests since the pandemic began, as the 31,444 Covid infections reported on Wednesday broke the record set on April 13.
Apple’s main subcontractor, Foxconn, the Taiwanese tech firm that produces more iPhones than any other manufacturer, has offered new staff 10,000 yuan ($2200) to leave its factory immediately in a desperate attempt to end days-long riots over conditions at the plant, according to reports.
Its site in Zhengzhou has been hit by escalating unrest among workers who have complained that their bonus payments have been delayed and they were forced to share dormitories with Covid-positive workers.
The company yesterday apologised to workers, blaming a technical error in the processing of new staff for the alleged delay in bonus payments.
Zhengzhou officials announced a five-day lockdown to curb infections after the Foxconn protests. The city of 10.3 million reported 674 infections yesterday, and 827 a day earlier.
Other cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing, have also tightened restrictions as cases have increased.
Schools in the capital have moved to online classes and anyone seeking to enter public places, such as shopping centres and government buildings, must provide a negative PCR test taken within the previous 48 hours.
Thousands of temporary hospital rooms have been built in the southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou, where nearly a third of the latest cases have been recorded.
Videos appeared to show hundreds of Foxconn employees clashing with Covid officials and police officers in white hazmat suits.
Foxconn was left scrambling to hire new workers last month, when it imposed a Covid lockdown at its Zhengzhou plant, prompting thousands of staff to flee. To keep production going, the company went on a hiring spree, promising higher pay and bonuses to new employees.
Adam Kucharski, co-director at the UK Centre for Epidemic Preparedness and Response, said “big Covid waves” were hitting the country.
“China now seems to be in a similar position to much of Europe in late 2020 . . . with a need to slow transmission down in (the) short term, while massively ramping up vaccine coverage, as (the) main long-term exit strategy,” he said.