Apple Inc. is warning customers they�ll have to wait longer to get its latest iPhone models after anti-virus restrictions were imposed on a contractor�s factory in central China.

The company announcement Sunday gave no details but said the factory operated by Foxconn in the central city of Zhengzhou is �operating at significantly reduced capacity.�

�We now expect lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated,� the company said. �Customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products.�

Foxconn Technology Group said earlier it imposed anti-virus measures on the factory in Zhengzhou following virus outbreaks. Apple and Foxconn previously hadn�t responded to questions about how iPhone production might be affected.

Last week, access to the industrial zone where the factory is located was suspended for one week following a surge in infections in Zhengzhou and the departure of workers from the factory.

The lockdown is expected to cause further disruptions to the plant, which in recent weeks has seen a spate of coronavirus infections and an exodus of workers, some of whom fled the factory on foot.

Foxconn said in a statement that it is revising its outlook for this quarter downward due to the lockdown.

�Foxconn is now working with the government in a concerted effort to stamp out the pandemic and resume production to its full capacity as quickly as possible,� the company said Monday.

It also said that the provincial government has said it will �fully support� Foxconn in managing the plant�s pandemic prevention and operation situation.

In a post on the Zhengzhou plant�s WeChat social media account Sunday, the company said a �closed loop� system would restrict its employees� travel between their dormitories and the factory area to manage risks of COVID-19 transmission.

The last quarter of the year is typically a busy season for companies like Foxconn as they ramp up production ahead of the end of year holiday rush.

�We are working closely with our supplier to return to normal production levels while ensuring the health and safety of every worker,� Apple said.

(AP)