China’s iPhone city goes to extreme lengths to meet zero-Covid demands as Foxconn workers vent anger
- Zhengzhou authorities ordered the disinfection of all public places and residential buildings, a practice that proved controversial in Shanghai
- Some of the 27 new Covid-19 cases were on the local Foxconn campus, where workers described terrible living conditions at the world’s largest iPhone factory
Zhengzhou, known as China’s iPhone city, is going to extremes to curb Covid-19 infections by disinfecting all public places and residential buildings, according to a notice posted online.
The government of the capital of China’s central Henan province told residents to take heed of the new measures that will take place from Friday evening to Saturday morning, according to a post on the city’s official WeChat account.
The city has imposed a quasi-lockdown on its 10 million residents, requiring people in some areas to stay at home while others must restrict their activities to the district in which they live. The local government has also ordered the closure of non-essential businesses while allowing select whitelisted companies to continue operating.
In its notice on disinfection, it also told residents who were allowed to leave their homes to “gently take off coats and hang them in a ventilated position” and “wipe the upper side of shoes” with disinfectant upon their return.
These large-scale sanitisation efforts have become controversial in China this year since similar measures were taken during a citywide lockdown in Shanghai in April and May.
“Do not spray disinfectant directly on people; do not sterilise outdoor air; do not conduct large-scale disinfection of the external environment including greening, roads and walls,” Wang Tong, a Shanghai health official, said in a press briefing in April.