In spite of precautionary measures, two employees at the Toyota plant in Bidadi Karnataka were tested positive for COVID-19, after which the automaker had to shut the factory again. Dealers and service centers however remain operational.
Just as the country was starting to open up and businesses were resuming, Toyota India has been struck by a major setback. Toyota Kirloskar Motors has had to shut down its Bidadi plant in Karnataka once again after two of their employees were tested positive for COVID-19. These two employees last attended work on June 7 and June 16, respectively. Toyota had just resumed operation on May 26, 2020 after being shut down for two months since the nation-wide lockdown was imposed in March, 2020.
Earlier, Toyota has issued a statement where they said that they have taken all precautionary measures to ensure social distancing and were even running the plant with limited work force. The prompt action on behalf of Toyota to shut down the plant again to prevent further spread is commendable though. Toyota also becomes the third automaker after Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki whose employees were tested positive of COVID-19 after resuming operation from late last month. The other manufacturers have however not shut their plants.
In a statement, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “As a first step and through appropriate contact tracing, TKM has started identifying all those employees who may have had primary or secondary contact with the infected employees for necessary treatment and quarantine wherever necessary, and is in contact with the local Government authorities. Operations at TKM plant has already been temporarily suspended so that required disinfection can be carried out at the plant.”
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“TKM has also extended all necessary support to the infected employees for medical treatment as well as quarantine procedures. The company is in touch with the families of the infected employees so as to support them to handle this situation carefully without further complications. Considering the safety and security of its employees and all of its stakeholders as its first priority in mind, TKM will continue to take all possible preventive and remedial measures to deal with the developing situation and closely work with various stakeholders including the relevant statutory authorities,” it added further.
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While the factory has been shut, the operations at the dealer end and service centers remain unaffected for Toyota. Toyota resumed its sales and service outlets last month across the country and have even been rolling out special offers on new cars and service packages for June 2020. Toyota has also been cooperating with local authorities to fight the COVID-19 crisis and even donated a Mobile Medical Unit to the Indian Institute of Science recently to help accelerate COVID-19 testing in Karnataka.
