Maruti, Hyundai employees test COVID-19 positive, firms not to shut down

India's top carmakers Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and Hyundai Motor India Ltd on Sunday said they will not suspend production at their factories in Manesar and Irungattukottai near Chennai respectively despite some of their employees testing positive for coronavirus in the last two days.

An employee at Maruti's Manesar plant had tested positive on May 22, a company spokesperson said. There may be a possibility of a second case of infection that has just been reported. More information is being sought, the company said.

Maruti Suzuki opened its factory at Manesar on May 3. The said employee worked till May 15 with normal health after which his residence area in Gurugram came into a containment zone, and he did not join work thereafter.

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"The company has undertaken a contact tracing exercise and out of abundant caution, all employees who possibly could have come in contact have been advised to stay in home isolation," the company said, adding that, "There is no impact on the business operations of the company."

Maruti had resumed operations at its Gurugram plant on May 18.

Hyundai commenced operations at its Irungattukottai factory near Chennai on May 8. During the first week of plant operations, three of its employees had shown symptoms of mild cough and cold. They subsequently tested positive for Covid-19. "All the necessary measures are being taken for contact tracing, self-isolation and complete sanitation," the company said.