Hyundai shuts down factory due to infected worker

Reuters Videos
5 年前

A coronavirus case has appeared in the factory of one of the world's largest automakers.

Hyundai Motor announced on Friday (February 28) that it would suspend production at one of its South Korean factories after one worker tested positive for the virus.

The company saw its shares drop more than 5% after the news.

The virus represents yet another setback for Hyundai.

The company suffered from a parts shortage in the wake of the initial outbreak in China.

It's only recently resumed production at local plants.

Hyundai has asked South Korean colleagues who came in close contact with the infected employee to self-quarantine.

It also plans to disinfect the factory, located in the southern city of Ulsan.

Hyundai has five factories in the city.

With 34,000 workers in the world's biggest car complex producing over 1.4 million vehicles annually, Ulsan is responsible for nearly 30% of Hyundai's global production.

The city is just an hour from Daegu, the epicenter of South Korea's virus outbreak.

South Korea has the most infected people outside China- and the government has declared the highest state of emergency.

It reported over 2,000 cases total as of Friday, a number that has climbed rapidly in the past week.

Panicked residents now wait in long lines to buy face masks- and workers can been seen disinfecting everything from subways to open-air markets.