Tamil Nadu firms suspend manufacturing over coronavirus outbreak

The state government said on Tuesday that six more people were tested positive, taking the total number of positive cases to 15

Manufacturing companies suspended operations on Tuesday after the state government introduced restrictions to check the coronavirus.

The government has issued a notification under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 and regulations, imposing various restrictions in Tamil Nadu from 6 pm of March 24 to 6 am on April 1, 2020.

Listed entities, including TVS Group firm Sundram Fasteners, TVS Electronics, Murugappa Group firm EID Parry, Lakshmi Machine Works Ltd, GHCL, Ponni Sugars, Sundaram Brake Linings Ltd and MM Forgings have announced suspension of operations from March 24 onwards.

"The duration of disruption/suspension of the company's manufacturing operations is not foreseeable at present and would depend on an improvement in the situation and on further directions to be received from the central and the respective state governments and other authorities in this regard," said EID Parry in its regulatory filing. The company is monitoring the situation for taking timely action base on guidance from the governments and the authorities, it added.

TVS Electronics said that the outbreak has affected the supply of some components to its manufacturing facilities and volume of business in service tech segment. This is likely to impact its planned production and volume of business in excess of 10 per cent for the month of March.  

The state government has said on Tuesday that six more people were tested positive, taking the total number of positive cases to 15. A total of 2,09,163 passengers were screened at the airports of Chennai, Trichy, Madurai and Coimbatore and 15,298 are under home quarantine, while 43 asymptomatic passengers from highly affected countries are being quarantined in facilities near airport and 116 are under hospital isolation.