Foxconn Factories Resume “Normal Work” as Shenzhen Lockdown Lifts

22 MARCH 2022 - It’s back to work for the Foxconn factories in Shenzhen. A little over a week ago the Chinese government put Shenzhen into lockdown in an attempt to stop a sudden uptick in COVID cases in the region. If a business wasn’t supplying food, fuel, or essential goods or services, workers either had to work from home or not work at all, in theory. I say “in theory” because Foxconn was able to restart production, employing what’s called a “closed loop” system. 

Expectations were that the lockdown would last until at least 20 March. Now there’s word that things are back to running normally. Apple Insider highlights a Reuters report that has Foxconn saying it’s “basically resumed normal work order and production operations.” This as authorities in Shenzhen lift the latest lockdown. 

While things might be running normally, they’re not back to normal. The Reuters piece has Foxconn saying that production has resumed “under the premise of abiding by epidemic prevention policies and strictly implementing epidemic prevention and control.” One assumes that includes masks, social distancing where possible, and other mitigation measures. Part of Shenzhen is still “high risk,” according to the report, with orders that workers who can work from home continue to do so.