Infected Workers, Parts Shortages Slow Factory Restarts

June 1, 2020

Many automakers are reportedly having a difficult time restarting production due to infected workers and shortages of parts.

June 1, 2020—The return to auto factories from a two-month production shutdown hasn't gone quite according to plan, reports The Washington Post.

According to the report, some automakers have had full production delayed with production lines stopping and starting due to coronavirus-infected workers or parts shortages from Mexico and elsewhere.

Most automakers were forced to close factories in mid-to-late March when workers began getting sick with the virus. The factories started to partially reopen in mid-May as stay at home orders were lifted, but some have still not gotten back to normal.

Ford seems to have been hit the hardest with the delays, according to the report, pausing production at least six times in Dearborn, Mich., Chicago, and Kansas City, Mo., in order to disinfect equipment used by sick workers. Honda and Toyota have only had brief production pauses to disinfect equipment, while General Motors. and Fiat. Chrysler haven't had to shut down production lines at all.

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