. | . |
China Covid curbs disrupt production at world's biggest iPhone factory by AFP Staff Writers Beijing (AFP) Oct 26, 2022 Millions of people in China were under tight Covid restrictions on Wednesday as sporadic outbreaks across the country prompted business closures and disruption at the world's largest iPhone factory. China is the last major economy welded to a zero-Covid strategy, persisting with snap lockdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines in a bid to keep infections to a minimum. But fast-spreading virus variants have challenged that approach in recent months, with shutdowns and an ever-shifting patchwork of curbs sparking public exasperation and rare pockets of protest. The world's most populous nation recorded just 1,241 new local cases on Wednesday, the majority of which displayed no symptoms, according to the National Health Commission. But they include an outbreak at a factory in the central city of Zhengzhou that employs around 300,000 people and is known as the largest producer of iPhones in the world. Foxconn Technology Group, which runs the facility, acknowledged the flare-up on Wednesday but said "operation and production... is relatively stable". "Health and safety measures for employees (are) being maintained," the Taiwanese electronics maker said, adding that it was "providing the necessary guarantees for livelihoods, including material supplies, psychological comfort and responsive feedback". The company did not specify how many staff were affected by the outbreak but said it was a "small number" and that unsubstantiated online rumours of tens of thousands of infections were "patently false". "At present, the epidemic prevention work in Zhengzhou is progressing steadily, and the impact... is controllable," the statement said. "The operating outlook for this quarter remains unchanged," it added. There were signs of further tightening in Beijing, with the capital's Universal Resort theme park saying on Wednesday that it had "closed temporarily... to implement epidemic control requirements". "We will continue to evaluate the impact on operations and work hard to restore them as soon as possible", the resort said on its official Weibo social media account, without giving a timeline for reopening. - Inhalable vaccine - Chinese authorities have shown little willingness to ease Covid measures even as the number of daily cases has diminished, with Japanese investment bank Nomura estimating this week that more than 200 million people are under some form of enhanced restrictions. In the northwestern city of Xining -- home to 2.5 million -- residents complained on social media about grinding stay-home measures, with some making accusations of underreported cases that AFP was unable to verify. "Xining is like Shanghai in April," wrote one Weibo user, referencing the months-long lockdown that triggered isolated protests in the eastern megacity earlier this year. But Shanghai's situation has since improved, and officials there began rolling out an inhalable Covid vaccine on Wednesday in what is thought to be the first such campaign in the world. The vaccine -- produced by Tianjin-based manufacturer CanSino Biologics -- was approved by domestic regulators last month and is being administered as a booster for those who have previously received a jab. Footage posted on social media by local news outlets showed residents lifting translucent beakers to their lips and sucking in the mist-like vaccine through a nozzle. mjw/je/mtp
Smartphone sales sag as consumers delay purchases: report San Francisco (AFP) Oct 19, 2022 Global smartphone sales have slumped this year amid a "gloomy economic outlook," prompting people to spend money on essentials instead of the latest gadgets, according to a market tracker. Smartphone sales in the recently ended quarter were nine percent less than in the same period a year earlier, hitting a low not seen since 2014, according to research firm Canalys. Worldwide smartphone sales in each quarter have fallen short in comparison to those in the same periods last year, it said in a re ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |