IPhone production impacted by Coronavirus? Workers at an Apple subcontractor in central China will be placed in quarantine as soon as they return from Lunar New Year holidays, Apple's main supplier, Foxconn, said on Thursday February 6. They will remain so for at least a week to prevent contagion from coronavirus.

Foxconn had previously reported that one of its main production bases in China, in Zhengzhou (center), nicknamed "iPhone City", would resume operations on February 10, due to an extension of the Lunar New Year holidays facing the epidemic. However, the Taiwanese group finally announced on Thursday that its workers, whatever their region of origin, would be placed in quarantine for a period ranging from seven to fourteen days upon their return from vacation. The company says it complies with instructions from local authorities.

It is not known how many employees will be affected. Foxconn is the largest private sector employer in China, with more than one million people working in its some 30 factories and research facilities in the country.

Authorities across most of China have ordered businesses and factories to remain closed until February 9, at least to stem the outbreak of viral pneumonia, which has killed more than 560 people in the country.

>> Read also: How Wuhan coronavirus can contaminate the economy

Foxconn wants to be reassuring about its production

Foxconn, whose official name is Hon Hai Precision Industry, is the world's largest assembler of electronics. Many tech companies depend on it for the manufacture of consumer goods, from Apple iPhones to flat-screen TVs and laptops.

The Taiwanese group has endeavored to reassure its customers about the risk of a disruption in the supply chain, ensuring that it has already been confronted in the past with a viral epidemic, SARS in 2003.

However, Foxconn has revised its sales growth forecast in 2020 down sharply, anticipating an increase of between 1% and 3%, against a range of 3% to 5% previously expected, said its president Young Liu, quoted by the Bloomberg agency.

With AFP

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Download the app

google-play-badge_FR