According to foreign media reports, the Indian government has issued a closure order in order to stop the new coronavirus epidemic from continuing to spread, for which companies such as OPPO, Vivo and Samsung have announced that they will cease production and operations at their Greater Noida factory.
The smartphone companies are reportedly about to meet with officials from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh to discuss "the future course of action". According to sources familiar with the matter, "Based on discussions with Indian government officials, the factories will be closed until March 25, with further steps to be taken by OPPO and Vivo."
A spokesperson for Samsung said that their production in India has been suspended pending further notice. The spokesperson said, "At Samsung, ensuring health and safety is the highest priority. In order to protect our employees and their families from the new coronavirus and in compliance with local government directives, we have now decided to suspend manufacturing operations and ask our employees in India responsible for sales, marketing and research and development to work from home. However, important services such as customer service, for example, will continue to operate with limited staffing."
In a further precautionary measure, Vivo has asked all non-factory employees to work from home from Monday. Telecom equipment makers Ericsson and Nokia's factories in Chennai and Pune will reportedly continue production.
A spokesperson for Ericsson said: "Fifty per cent of the employees at Ericsson's facility in Pune will continue to work, but they will strictly adhere to rules such as maintaining a safe social distance. We have waived part of the ban after obtaining approval from the relevant authorities."
From Monday local time in India, most cities will be under a complete lockdown, with only essential services like pharmacies remaining open. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on all businesses to refrain from withholding employees' salaries under the current circumstances.