A week ago Patently Apple began reporting on the brewing COVID lockdown in-the-making. Then yesterday we posted two reports (01 and 02) on the plant worker exodus taking place. So it wasn't surprising to learn this morning that the industrial park that houses Foxconn's largest iPhone plant in the world has been ordered to close for a 7 day COVID lockdown.  

CNBC reports that "The lockdown comes as Apple works to meet the demand for some of its new iPhones, which launched in September. Apple CEO Tim Cook, speaking to CNBC on Thursday about the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings, said that the company’s high-end iPhone 14 Pro phones remain supply constrained.

The Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, located in central China’s Henan province, is imposing “silent management measures,” the report said. Residents are not allowed to go out and only approved vehicles are allowed on the road until the restrictions ease Nov. 9.

Zhengzhou has been battling a new wave of Covid. The city has locked down some districts as China pushes ahead with its zero-Covid policy, using testing and lockdowns to try and tackle the virus.

The lockdown marks a retightening 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. For more, read the full CNBC report.

While the lockdown will last a week, it's unknown how long it will take for the largest iPhone maker in the world to get back to mass production status.