Two construction workers wrongly diagnosed COVID-19 positive, no employee infected: Vivo

Smartphone maker Vivo India on Wednesday said two construction workers at its new manufacturing facility in Uttar Pradesh were wrongly diagnosed COVID-19 positive and they have now tested negative.

The company said none of the Vivo employees from the 30 per cent workforce allowed to come to work has been found infected with the coronavirus.

The statement comes after Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate on Monday said two workers at Vivo's manufacturing facility had tested positive for COVID-19 and the company has voluntarily shut its operations for the time being.

"No worker at the vivo factory has been found COVID positive. However, at the construction site of the new vivo manufacturing plant, 15 kilometres away from the operational factory and managed by a third-party construction company, two construction workers (third-party employees) were misdiagnosed.

"Nonetheless, as per the latest lab test reports that came in today, both the workers have been found COVID negative," the company said in a statement.

The company said its manufacturing facility in Greater Noida continues to be operational. It had resumed operations on May 9.

"The facility continues to abide by all prescribed standard operating procedures to ensure safety and wellbeing of its current 3000 employees (30 per cent of total workforce capacity) that continue to work at the state of the art facility in Gautam Budh Nagar," the statement said.

The company said it continues strict adherence to regular medical check-ups, social distancing norms and limited movement in common areas.

"Health and safety of our employees and partners are of paramount importance to us. No vivo employee has tested positive till date and the company is taking all precautionary measures and adhering to all government guidelines," Vivo India Director for Brand Strategy Nipun Marya said.

The company had received permission from Uttar Pradesh government to resume operations with 30 per cent capacity in the third phase of lockdown which started from May 4.

The company continues to adhere to work from home for all head office staff while resuming production with 30 per cent capacity at the manufacturing facility, it added.

According to IDC, Vivo was the second largest mobile handset company in India in terms of shipments with market share of 21 per cent in the January-March 2020 quarter. Xiaomi led the market with 31.2 per cent share and Samsung followed Vivo with 15.6 per cent share.