It appears that workers at the iPhone factory in Zhengzhou city in central China have left to avoid COVID-19 restrictions, as many of them traveled on foot for several days after an unknown number of employees were quarantined in the facility following the virus outbreak. Videos circulated on Chinese social media platforms also showed people allegedly Foxconn workers climbing fences and carrying their belongings on the road. Foxconn's factory in Zhengzhou, Henan province, is one of the largest factories in China assembling products for Apple Inc., including the latest iPhone 14 devices. Also, not all videos allegedly showing workers leaving the facility have been verified, as it is unclear whether the workers who left the facility fled or were allowed to leave. Foxconn did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Volunteers from neighboring villages also distributed food and drink to Foxconn workers. One of these volunteers, who asked to remain anonymous except by his title "Zhang" for privacy reasons, stated that he was tasked with distributing supplies prepared by his village in Xinyang province. He added that the people who appeared in a video he uploaded on the short video platform Douyin were Foxconn workers because they would have to walk this road if they were leaving the facility. The workers' exodus comes after reports that Foxconn had quarantined a number of workers following a COVID-19 outbreak at the factory.

Foxconn's facility in Zhengzhou can accommodate up to 350,000 workers at the factory, but it is unclear how many workers are currently at the factory. It is also unclear how many left or how many were affected by the COVID-19 restrictions implemented at the factory before their departure. Earlier this week, media reports stated that a "closed-loop" system was implemented at the factory that largely restricted workers' movement between their residences and the factory. Additionally, local media reports said Foxconn workers complained about poor food quality and lack of medical care for those infected amid growing concerns about the spread of the infection. The company also denied rumors that 20,000 people at the factory were infected with COVID-19. Since then, cities near Zhengzhou have urged Foxconn workers to inform local authorities if they plan to return to their hometowns so they can undergo proper quarantine procedures. According to posts on the official WeChat account of the Zhengzhou government, Foxconn issued notifications on Sunday to workers at its factory, pledging to ensure safety, legitimate rights, and income for those wishing to stay. After a day of videos circulating of workers leaving the factory, Foxconn and several local governments also arranged transportation for employees choosing to return home. It is also unclear how much ability workers have to make a decision to leave the factory. In this context, the departure of Foxconn workers from the Zhengzhou factory highlights growing dissatisfaction with China's "Zero COVID" strategy, as governments try to eliminate outbreaks through strict quarantine and lockdown measures when infections are detected.