iPhone maker and key Apple supplier Foxconn to quarantine its workers for up to 2 weeks amid coronavirus fears
- Key Apple supplier Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, better-known as Foxconn, will quarantine its workers for up to 2 weeks amid fears that the coronavirus could infect them.
- According to Bloomberg, the firm said workers returning from outside Henan province - where its main factory in Zhengzhou is located - will be sequestered for 14 days, while any staff reporting to work who live within the province itself will be isolated for 7 days.
- Foxconn - which is the world's most prolific iPhone manufacturer - has already confirmed its intention to resume full production on February 10, but the staff quarantine could impact iPhone production.
- Business Insider has approached Foxconn and Apple for comment.
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Foxconn, one of Apple's most important suppliers, will quarantine its workers for up to 2 weeks amid coronavirus fears.
According to Bloomberg, the firm said workers returning from outside Henan province - where its main factory in Zhengzhou is located - will be sequestered for 14 days, while any staff reporting to work who live within the province itself will be isolated for 7 days.
Foxconn - known in China as Hon Hai precision industry Co - has already confirmed its intention to resume full production on February 1o.
But the decision to quarantine workers for extended periods could hinder Apple's iPhone output. Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory alone is thought to manufacture around half the world's iPhones, and has even spawned a mini-city named after the devices.
A number of other key Apple suppliers have also said they aim to resume full production next week, including Quanta Computer, Inventec and LG Display.
Quanta Computer helps assemble Apple Watches, while Inventec helps make its AirPods and LG Display supplies OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens used on some iPhone models.
During an earnings call last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the re-opening of its factories outside Wuhan had been pushed back to early February, though no specific suppliers had commented or confirmed their schedules at that time.
Business Insider has approached Foxconn and Apple for comment.
