The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the pandemic that has claimed the lives of over 2,000 people around the world since its inception in China, has affected the technology sector as well. The Mobile World Congress (MWC) that was to be held in Barcelona, Spain on 24th February 2020 has since been cancelled. Moreover, smartphone brands originating in China are also reeling because of the supply limitations that have had to be put in place in order to tackle the infection.
Even as these problems are pervading into day-to-day activities, information pouring out of South Korea has revealed thatmobile giant Samsung has closed down an in-nation smartphone plant in the city of Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do after an employee was detected to have been infected with COVID-19.
Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip are the two mobile phone models that are predominantly manufactured in this factory. For the time being, Samsung declared its closure up to 24th February. Furthermore, the company also restricted access to the floor where the employee was working until the day after, i.e. 25th February.
In a media statement, Samsung shared that its other employees who came in contact with the person infected by Coronavirus have been asked to remain in self-quarantine. It also added that it had taken steps to have all these employees to betested for a possible COVID-19 infection.
Despite these measures, the temporary closing down of the Gumi factory is not expected to have any major effects on Samsung’s smartphone production, since the factory produces only a small percentage of the entirety of itssmartphone numbers.