Staff making iPhones in China's plant to be quarantined amid rising coronavirus deaths

As the death toll from coronavirus reached 560 in China, iPhone manufacturer Foxconn in central China has decided to keep their workers under quarantine for up to two weeks. Foxconn, the world's biggest contract electronics maker, said the company has advised its instate and out-of-state employees to be quarantined for seven and 14 days respectively to prevent the looming threat of deadly coronavirus.

Apple Inc has already closed its stores in Wuhan, the epicentre of coronavirus outbreak and also announced a temporary closure of stores, corporate offices, and contact centres across China until February 9. The American tech giant’s decision to shut down the stores in China, its third-largest consumer market, has hit the business hard with the already affected tourism sector.

"Out of an abundance of caution and based on the latest advice from leading health experts, we're closing all our corporate offices, stores, and contact centers in mainland China through February 9," the company had said in a statement.

"Our thoughts are with the people most immediately affected by the coronavirus and with those working around the clock to study and contain it," it added.

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Apple donating to fight the virus

Apple CEO Tim Cook had said that the company will be donating to groups working on the ground to support those affected by the virus. 

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Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has reportedly called for strong legislative measures and greater judicial and law enforcement efforts to strengthen the capacity to carry out law-based epidemic prevention and control. The government must report information on the virus outbreak in a timely manner and authorities must prevent the epidemic from spreading, China’s news agency quoted Jinping. Jinping further added that the government will crack down on rumour-mongering related to the coronavirus. 

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