Ford shuts two U.S. assembly plants due to COVID-19 infections
DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co on Wednesday closed two U.S. assembly plants as the coronavirus pandemic wreaked early havoc with the No. 2 U.S.
DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co
Ford closed its Dearborn, Michigan, plant due to a positive COVID-19 test by one worker, while its Chicago assembly plant was closed due to a parts shortage, Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said.
Ford declined to say which supplier had the issue, but a person familiar with the matter said Lear Corp
It was the second day in a row Ford had closed its Chicago plant, after closing it twice on Tuesday after two workers on different shifts also tested positive. Both the Dearborn and Chicago plants are expected to resume production later on Wednesday, Felker said.
In the Dearborn and Chicago positive tests, all exposure occurred outside the workplace, Felker said. Dearborn builds the highly profitable F-150 pickup truck, while the Chicago plant makes the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs.
The U.S. auto industry, including Ford, reopened many plants on Monday after a long shutdown due to the outbreak. To ensure safe operation amid the health crisis, Ford and other automakers and suppliers imposed new safety measures, including screening employees who enter the building, mandating the use of face masks and face shields, and social distancing along the assembly line where possible.
The reopening of car plants will be a closely watched test of whether workers across a range of U.S. industries will be able to return to factories in large numbers without a resurgence of infections.
General Motors Co
(Reporting by Ben Klayman; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Marguerita Choy)
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
also read
France, Germany to agree to NATO role against Islamic State - sources | Reuters
By Robin Emmott and John Irish | BRUSSELS/PARIS BRUSSELS/PARIS France and Germany will agree to a U.S. plan for NATO to take a bigger role in the fight against Islamic militants at a meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday, but insist the move is purely symbolic, four senior European diplomats said.The decision to allow the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to join the coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq follows weeks of pressure on the two allies, who are wary of NATO confronting Russia in Syria and of alienating Arab countries who see NATO as pushing a pro-Western agenda."NATO as an institution will join the coalition," said one senior diplomat involved in the discussions. "The question is whether this just a symbolic gesture to the United States
China's Xi says navy should become world class | Reuters
BEIJING Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for greater efforts to make the country's navy a world class one, strong in operations on, below and above the surface, as it steps up its ability to project power far from its shores.China's navy has taken an increasingly prominent role in recent months, with a rising star admiral taking command, its first aircraft carrier sailing around self-ruled Taiwan and a new aircraft carrier launched last month.With President Donald Trump promising a US shipbuilding spree and unnerving Beijing with his unpredictable approach on hot button issues including Taiwan and the South and East China Seas, China is pushing to narrow the gap with the U.S. Navy.Inspecting navy headquarters, Xi said the navy should "aim for the top ranks in the world", the Defence Ministry said in a statement about his visit."Building a strong and modern navy is an important mark of a top ranking global military," the ministry paraphrased Xi as saying.