IMI suspends work in 4 China factories

IMI’s facility in Jiaxing, China

Ayala-led electronics manufacturer Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI) has suspended operations in four factories in mainland China and halted business trips of its employees to and from high-risk regions amid the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus (n-CoV).

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday, IMI said it had delayed resumption of work in selected facilities in China to conform with local government notices regarding n-CoV.

The provincial government units concerned, in accordance with the Emergency Response Law and Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Law of the People’s Republic of China, extended the holidays to ensure the implementation of measures and response requirements and further strengthen the control of the n-CoV.

The IMI manufacturing sites affected by these advisories are located in the following: Pingshan Kuichong, Guandong (IMI Technology Shenzhen Co. Ltd.); Jiaxing, Zhejiang (Speedy-Tech Electronics Jiaxing Co. Ltd.; Chengdu, Sichuan (IMI Chengdu Ltd.); and, Suzhou, Jiangsu (VIA Optronics Suzhou Co. Ltd.).

“IMI is developing contingency plans to recover production backlogs as a result of these suspensions including among others, the temporary transfer of production activities for some customers to other IMI manufacturing plants,” IMI said.

“Management is communicating with local government offices regarding the possibility of resuming production earlier than the mandated dates at reduced production capacity,” it said.

At the earliest, the Guandong and Zhejiang facilities were estimated to resume on Feb. 10 and Jiangsu facility, on Feb. 9. The Chengdu facility is estimated to resume on Feb. 3, at the earliest.

IMI said it’s implementing guidelines to address and manage employees who manifest symptoms associated with n-Cov.