Michael Crider
With the Wuhan coronavirus spreading consistently and no obvious signs of slowing, the global economy is starting to see more and more setbacks. Over the weekend, Samsung announced that the factory manufacturing its new flagship foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip, closed down. A single worker in the Gumi, South Korea plant tested positive for the virus.
Samsung hopes to re-open the plant today after clearing the plant, though the floor where the employee was working will remain closed until tomorrow. “The health and safety of our employees are our highest priority,” Samsung told Cnet. “The company plans to implement all necessary measures for disinfection and containment promptly.”
This is only the latest economic setback created by the spreading coronavirus. Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, one of the tech industry’s biggest yearly events that was originally scheduled to be happening now, was completely cancelled earlier this month. Companies have been announcing lowered output forecasts due to factory closings in China and other manufacturing centers as government and corporations implement safety procedures for workers. Many companies are pulling out of press events and conferences, as international travel is an especially dangerous vector for infection.
Samsung says that the shutdown will have a “minimum” impact on its phone production schedule. But as the coronavirus emergency continues, expect more and more news like this to break, from companies across the tech industry and beyond.
