Nokia has suspended operations at a telecom gear manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu after dozens of employees there tested positive for COVID-19. The company’s plan has been shut down since last week, just a few days after it reopened. While Nokia isn’t saying how many employees were positive for COVID-19, Reuters claims that the number is at least 42.
In a statement, the Finnish company claimed that it had taken all precautions before reopening the plant. The company reportedly ensured social distancing and made changes to canteen facilities. “We hope to resume operations soon at a restricted level with skeleton staff strength”, Nokia said.
With the nationwide lockdown battering the national economy, most Indian states are starting to allow factories and offices to resume operations. However, the increased activities have resulted in an explosion in the number of cases in the country in recent weeks. Chinese smartphone maker, Oppo, last week suspended operations at its Greater Noida plant after a number of employees at the facility tested positive for the coronavirus. The factory had only reopened a week and a half earlier, following a six-week shutdown.
As of Tuesday, India has officially reported more than 1.5 lakh cases of the coronavirus infection and over 4,100 deaths. However, media reports suggest that the actual number may be an order of magnitude higher, with most cases going undetected because of the lack of widespread testing.
