LG Electronics said on Monday that the company experiences the effects of the potentially deadly coronavirus at its research and development (R&D) center located in Incheon, Gyeonggi Province.
South Korea’s second-largest consumer electronics manufacturer temporarily closed its R&D center after reports that a family member of an employee at the center tested positive for the COVID-19, formerly known as nCoV-19.
LG Electronics said that it decided to shut down the R&D center from Monday until February 25 to allow for necessary disinfection work to be undertaken. Meanwhile, other LG employees working in the same facility as the employee with an infected family member self-quarantined themselves in their homes.
LG assured that its operation would transfer and continue at its other facilities despite the shutdown. The company announced that the R&D building would resume activities on the afternoon of Tuesday.
LG added that the decision aligns with LG Electronics’ reinforced preventive measures against COVID-19. The company added that the measures are to ensure the safety and health of its employees amid the sudden surge of infected individuals in South Korea. LG also hopes its employees would understand and support the decision.
LG Electronics’ Incheon Research and Development Campus houses research centers concerning various developments of electric vehicles such as testing, manufacturing, and research and development. Established in July 2013, the center employs 2,500 workers, including LG’s local suppliers.
Samsung Electronics recently shut down its factory operation in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, after an employee in the facility tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The temporary close over the weekend was to allow sanitation at the facility.
COVID-19 Update
South Korea’s Center for Disease Control (KCDC) confirms an accumulated total of 833 cases of COVID-19 infected patients in the country as of Monday. The death toll rose to eight people.
Prime minister Chung Se-kyun cited the southeastern city of Daegu as the epicenter of the surge in virus transmission cases, declaring the city and the North Gyeongsang Province as “special management zones.”
South Korea has recorded 483 confirmed cases in Daegu, the supposed breakout center. Meanwhile, KCDC verified 198 occurrences in the adjacent North Gyeongsang Province, and 31 cases in Seoul.
