Covid-19: Business-as-usual for Noida factories even as some report cases
- Current government regulations require companies to shut down any facility and the area within 250 metres of facilities where infected patients are found for 48 hours
NEW DELHI: Factories in Noida and Greater Noida are operating without any hitches despite workers testing positive for covid-19 in some sites.
Nine workers in smartphone maker Oppo’s factory and two from a construction site for a new Vivo factory had tested positive for covid-19 over the past few days, according to the health bulletin from the Uttar Pradesh government. In a statement, Oppo said it has suspended operations in the factory and was awaiting test results for 3,000 employees.
According to industry executives, current government regulations require companies to shut down any facility and the area within 250 metres of facilities where infected patients are found for 48 hours.
They use that time to quarantine infected workers, test others who have come in contact with them and disinfect the entire facility. “It’s a risk everyone has to take,” said the director of a television manufacturer who has factories in Noida.
At the moment, most companies are checking workers’ temperatures at least twice a day and if any aberrations are found, they have to get such employees tested. Avneet Singh Marwah, CEO of Super Plastronics Pvt. Ltd (SPPL), which owns the brand license for Thomson TVs in India, said the company is testing workers thrice a day and will be conducting random tests through private means in order to ensure safety.
Smartphone maker Vivo clarified that the cases reported weren't in its factory. “The incident took place at the industrial park, which is the construction site of our new factory. The location is being managed by a third party construction company completely,” said a spokesperson from the company. The company also clarified that no Vivo employee had tested positive for the disease till date. “Our current operational factory, 15 kilometres away from the construction site, is running at 30% capacity as per the norms stated by Greater Noida authorities,” the spokesperson added.
Another Smartphone maker, Lava, which has a facility in the same industrial park where Vivo’s construction site is, said its services haven’t been affected because of the new cases. Lava is also functioning at 30% capacity and adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOP) issued by the government.
SPPL’s Marwah said the government doesn’t want to hamper operations right now, in order to avoid further impact on the economy. He said that covid test results are usually returned within 24 hours. “The main purpose is not to seal factories (for too long),” he added.
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First Published:19 May 2020, 01:43 PM IST
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