Samsung warns China's Xi'an lockdown could affect memory chip manufacturing

As the Chinese city of Xi'an has been put under stringent lockdown due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, Samsung Electronics announced that it will temporarily adjust operations at its manufacturing facilities in the city for NAND flash memory chips. The memory chips are used for data storage in data centres, smartphones and other tech gadgets.

"Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we have decided to temporarily adjust operations at our manufacturing facilities in Xi'an, China. This decision was made in accordance with our commitment to protecting the health and safety of our employees and partners, which remains our top priority," Samsung said in a statement. 

Micron Technology too has announced that the COVID-19 lockdown in the Chinese city of Xian would lead to delays in the supply of its chips, which are commonly used in data centres.

China on Wednesday had locked down the entire 13 million residents of Xi'an after the COVID-19 cluster was found in the city. The latest outbreak in Xi'an has affected dozen of cities in 15 provinces and regions. Earlier this week, more than two dozen officials in Shaanxi provinces were punished by the authorities for their ineffective preventive measures in tackling the COVID-19 spread in the city of Xi'an, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Chinese Central Commission for Discipline Inspection last week punished 26 officials and four local party organizations have been punished for "ineffective preventive measures".