The Hungarian subsidiary of Samsung is voluntarily quarantining all its employees arriving from China, said Gábor Balogh, the mayor of the central Hungarian town where the plant is located.
In line with Samsung’s agreement with the municipality, the firm notified the mayor that last week they contacted the Hungarian National Public Health Center and have instituted all necessary measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease.
The factory, which is a part of the South Korean electronics giant’s automotive battery arm, instructed all its employees who have been to China recently to work from home, and besides the normal hygienic measures, the plant now has extra disinfection protocols and additional health instructions for all employees.
Hungary’s chief medical officer, Dr. Cecília Müller, said on national television channel M1 on Tuesday that so far none of the Hungarian citizens in the Wuhan region, ground zero of the disease, have been affected.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade announced that, of the eight Hungarian citizens in Wuhan, seven have requested help in returning home. Currently, the ministry is coordinating with France, Germany and Portugal for the joint evacuation of their citizens within the EU’s mutual assistance program.
The Budapest Airport has put in place disinfectants and is also prepared to handle travelers from the affected zones in separation should the authorities decide to institute such measures.
Image: Samsung SDI factory in Göd, central Hungary (MTI/Márton Mónus)
