COVID-19 strikes Noida factories of Chinese smartphones: Oppo to open unit after all 3,000 employees screened; Vivo not impacted

COVID-19 has struck the Greater Noida factory of Chinese smartphone brand Oppo and has led to its shutdown. Another Chinese brand Vivo’s construction employees too have been COVID-19 infected but the manufacturing plans have not been hampered, according to news reports. Oppo and Vivo, along with other top handset makers, resumed manufacturing at their Noida and Greater Noida-based factories with 30 percent workforce from 8 May. Chinese handset maker Oppo on Sunday suspended operations at its Noida factory till the time it completes screening of all 3,000 employees at the plant. The company had resumed the operations on Friday after it got permission from the UP government for it with around 30 percent of employees. The company has send sample of all employees who have to join work for coronavirus testing. At least six workers at Oppo’s factory have been found corona positive, according to a news report. [caption id=“attachment_8075651” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AP[/caption] According to sources, after the coronavirus cases were confirmed at Oppo factory in Kasna, Greater Noida, the work was immediately halted on Sunday till further notice, PTI said. “We have been asked not to come to the factory as six COVID-19 cases have been confirmed at our manufacturing unit in Greater Noida. The company has asked us to stay at home till further notice,” an Oppo worker told IANS on the condition of anonymity. “Do not go to work tomorrow. Everyone is at home waiting for the company’’s next notice,” read an internal Oppo post. “As an organisation that places the safety of all employees and citizens at the forefront, we have suspended all operations at our manufacturing facility in Greater Noida and initiated the COVID-19 testing for over 3,000 employees, for which results are awaited,” Oppo said in a late night statement on Sunday. Oppo said it will only allow employees with negative test results to resume office following all safety protocols. “We are undertaking stringent measures to keep the employees safe and disinfecting the premises,” the statement said. Vivo’s construction employees affected Meanwhile, two third-party construction employees at an under-construction Vivo facility in the Greater Noida industrial belt have also tested COVID-19 positive. One third-party construction worker and one security guard at an upcoming Vivo site at the industrial park area in Greater Noida - where multiple factories are currently under construction - have tested Covid-19 positive. However, this has not affected Vivo manufacturing as the construction site is nearly 15 km away from its operational unit, said sources. OPPO restarted manufacturing operations with 30 percent workforce, with around 3,000 employees working in rotation out of more than 10,000-strong staff at its Kasna, Greater Noida-based facility. Vivo also resumed production at its production facility with about 30 percent of its workforce capacity.   --With agency inputs