World News: Samsung confirms coronavirus case at South Korean factory

World News: Samsung confirms coronavirus case at South Korean factory

Factory pack up but set to reopen

A Samsung factory in South Korea was pack up after a confirmed case of coronavirus.

The facility in Gumi, near the southeastern city of Daegu, was closed until early Monday morning and therefore the floor on which the affected employee was performing on will remain shut until early tomorrow.

“The company has placed colleagues who came in touch with the infected employee in self-quarantine and brought steps to possess them tested for possible infection,” a spokesperson told Reuters.

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Samsung Coronavirus

Although the Gumi factory is merely liable for a little portion of Samsung’s total device output – the bulk of production takes place in India and Vietnam – it is an example of the potential disruption the coronavirus could wear the mobile industry.

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In China, there have thus far been quite 77,000 confirmed cases of the virus, which is spreading to other countries. Iran, Italy and South Korea itself all reporting a serious increase in cases over the weekend.

With China being a serious manufacturing hub and significant market there are concerns that the disruption might be significant. Many companies have instructed employees to figure from home and to minimize travel, however, the technology sector is viewed as a “critical” industry, exempt from many restrictions.

Foxconn, which may be a key assembler for several major device manufacturers, hopes to resume 80 percent production by March.

Nonetheless, there might be a big impact on China’s bid to be a pacesetter in 5G. The country has made next-generation networks an economic priority, however rollout is being hampered by logistical and manufacturing issues – not least the deployment of fiber cables that support radio infrastructure.

Huawei, however, has said the outbreak won't affect its ability to provide its customers with 5G equipment.




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