A Foxconn plant in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province File photo: VCG

The Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone in Central China's Henan Province, where Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant is located, said on Wednesday that the zone had entered a seven-day period of "static management" at noon Wednesday, in order to reduce personnel flows and reduce viral transmission.

During the period, all gatherings will be suspended. Public transportation including buses, taxis and online car-hailing have been suspended, and personal cars have been banned from the roads, except for vehicles for essential supplies, urban operations, medical treatment and other epidemic prevention and control activities, said the economic zone authorities.

Mass nucleic acid testing will be conducted once a day in the zone and anyone who doesn't take a test will be given a yellow health code, said the authorities.

In the Foxconn manufacturing compound, which accommodates about 200,000 workers, normal order has been restored, thanks to joint efforts from the company and the local government.

In order to encourage employees to stay on the production line, the Zhengzhou plant announced on Tuesday that it would pay a bonus of 400 yuan ($55) to each worker, a significant rise from the original 100 yuan per day. 

Workers from Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant who are currently off duty, off work or those who have quit but are still living in employee apartments can enjoy some benefits, according to local media. Their living supplies will be ensured, such as three meals a day to be delivered to their apartments.

Each employee will get an epidemic prevention package for seven days including N95 face masks and sanitizers. Each residential community will also be equipped with medical staff and necessary drugs, diagnosis and treatment equipment.

Starting on Wednesday, relevant departments began to conduct three days of disinfection of the plant, employee dormitories and the neighboring environment.

The company will also respect employees' decisions to leave or stay. Employees under quarantine who test negative for seven consecutive days will return to their hometowns in an orderly manner.

The static management will have no particular impact on the plant's operation, industry experts said.

Ma Jihua, a veteran industry analyst, told the Global Times that static management is a better response to the needs of epidemic control, while production should be carried out smoothly under closed-loop management.

The factory has launched several measures to shore up confidence among its workers including higher bonuses for those who choose to stay, while the local government has offered more supportive measures to help the company restore production, Ma said.

Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant started closed-loop management on October 13 to mobilize workers living outside the plant to live in the company's dormitories, according to media reports.

Global Times