Apple’s prime supplier Foxconn Technology Group halted operations at two of its factories in eastern China’s Kunshan after new COVID-19 cases were reported on site, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday.

The operations at those plants have been suspended since Wednesday last week, with all employees confined to dormitories inside, the report said.

The two Foxconn plants, located at Dianfa and Fuhong in the northern part of Kunshan, are two of four manufacturing campuses operated in the city by the Taiwanese firm, which is also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd.

Apple and Foxconn did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Due to the spread of the virus, several other factories also faced shut down.

Earlier this month, another Apple parts supplier, Pegatron, had to suspend operations at two of its plants located in Shanghai and Kunshen in China. The government in China has imposed strict rules to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has spread widely in the nation. Other manufacturers have also had to suspend operations, but some companies such as Unimicron announced that it’ll partially resume operations.

© Thomson Reuters 2022