COVID-19 pandemic: After Oppo and Vivo, Nokia suspends production as employees test positive post-easing of lockdown measures

Nokia last week suspended operations at a telecoms gear manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu, the company said on Tuesday, after some employees tested positive for COVID-19. Nokia did not disclose how many workers at the plant in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu tested positive, but a source familiar with the matter said they were at least 42, Reuters report said. The company said it had already implemented measures such as social distancing and changes to canteen facilities. The factory had begun operations in a restricted manner over the past few weeks, Nokia said in a statement, after India eased the world’s biggest lockdown to kick-start its economy which has been pummelled by the shutdown. “We hope to resume operations soon at a restricted level with skeletal staff strength,” Nokia added. Chinese smartphone maker Oppo last week suspended operations at a recently re-opened plant on the outskirts of New Delhi after at least nine workers tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The outbreaks at Nokia and Oppo underline the challenges of easing the two-month nationwide lockdown. Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets 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 suspended operations at its Noida factory till the time it completes screening of all 3,000 employees at the plant. Oppo 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. Meanwhile, two third-party construction employees at an under-construction Vivo facility in the Greater Noida industrial belt have also tested COVID-19 positive. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak 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. India on Tuesday recorded a total of 145,380 coronavirus infections and a death toll of 4,167, comparatively low figures for the world’s second-most populous country. --With agency inputs