Multinational companies have ceased some operations as China widens its Covid lockdowns - among its biggest since the start of the pandemic. Jilin province has been one of the worst affected by the recent Covid outbreak in China. Tens of millions of people across the country face restrictions, including the entire Jilin province and technology hub Shenzhen, as authorities report record numbers of cases.

Toyota, Volkswagen and Apple supplier Foxconn are the prominent firms affected. The lockdowns have raised concerns that crucial supply chains may be disrupted.

China on Tuesday reported a record high of more than 5,000 cases, most of it in Jilin.All 24 million residents of the north-eastern province were placed under quarantine orders on Monday. It is the first time China has restricted an entire province since the Wuhan and Hebei lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic. Jilin residents have been banned from moving around, and anyone wanting to leave the province must apply for police permission. It came a day after a five-day lockdown was placed on the 12.5 million residents of the southern city of Shenzhen, with all buses and subway services suspended.

On Tuesday authorities in Langfang city which borders the capital Beijing, as well as Dongguan in the southern province of Guangdong, also imposed immediate lockdowns. Businesses in many of the affected regions have been told to close or have their employees work from home, unless they supplied essential services like food, utilities or other necessities.

Foxconn, which manufactures iPhones for Apple, stopped its operations in Shenzhen on Monday, and mentioned that the date of resumption would be announced as per the local government.

Toyota, which shut its factory in Changchun city in Jilin province, also in dark side regarding the timeline for when business would resume.
German carmaker Volkswagen also halted operations in Changchun, saying production of Volkswagen and Audi cars and their components was "affected", but that it hoped to reopen its factory on Thursday.