Last week we reported on the possible postponement of the Beijing Auto Show as the pandemic situation in China has worsened, leading to major new containment measures affecting several parts of the country.
Those measures include a lockdown in Shanghai, where General Motors (GM) operates a joint plant with local partner SAIC Motor. In order to maintain production, workers have been asked to sleep on site. Delivery trucks are being let in and out so that operations can continue, according to Reuters, which cited two sources familiar with the matter.
These measures amount to the creation of a bubble, which Chinese authorities have asked companies to do in order to remain active during a two-stage containment process that is intended to counter outbreaks.
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Workers at the plant are thus sleeping, living and working in isolation from the rest of the world to prevent transmission of the virus. A similar system was used during the Winter Olympics to isolate personnel.
The GM facilities operated with SAIC Motor are used to produce Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac models.
The company declined to comment on the arrangements at its plant. A spokesman said the firm and its partners have developed and are executing contingency plans with their suppliers to mitigate the uncertainty associated with Covid-19.