Photo by Lam Yik Fei/Bloomberg via Getty Images An industrial park in China that is home to Apple’s largest iPhone assembly plant in the world has been ordered to complete a seven-day Covid lockdown, according to a Reuters report. The lockdown comes as Apple works to meet demand for some of its new iPhones, which were released in September. Apple CEO Tim Cook, speaking on CNBC Thursday about the company’s fourth-quarter earnings, said the company’s high-end iPhone 14 Pro phones remain in limited supply. The Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone, located in central China’s Henan Province, imposes “silent management measures,” the report said. Residents are not allowed to go outside and only approved vehicles are allowed on the road until restrictions are eased on November 9. Apple shares were down about 1% in morning trading on Wednesday. The factory in Zhengzhou is owned by Foxconn, Apple’s largest iPhone supplier. Last week, Foxconn said its factory in Zhengzhou was affected by a small outbreak of Covid. A spokesman for the Taiwanese company, officially known as Hon Hai Technology Group, told CNBC that operations and production at its Zhengzhou facility are “relatively stable with health and safety measures for workers being maintained.” An Apple representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Zhengzhou is battling a new wave of Covid. The city has locked down some areas as China pushes its zero-Covid policy, using testing and lockdowns to try to tackle the virus. The lockdown marks a re-tightening of measures in the region after Zhengzhou unexpectedly lifted some restrictions on Tuesday, the report said. The city reported 358 Covid cases on Tuesday, up from 95 on Monday. Earlier this month, Foxconn implemented virus prevention measures such as requiring employees to take a Covid test within 24 hours of entering the Zhengzhou facility and urging them to get vaccinated. Apple still relies heavily on China for most of its iPhone production, but the tech giant has diversified its supply chain. The company announced in September that it was assembling its flagship iPhone 14 in India in an effort to shift some production away from China, for example. — CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report.
