While China is trying to contain and resolve the COVID-19 virus, other countries are still not safe from it. South Korea has recently seen an increase in the number of persons who have contracted the virus. An iPhone camera module supplier in the region was forced to shut down its factory recently after a COVID-19 case was discovered.
COVID-19 in Gumi, South Korea
The recent coronavirus outbreak in South Korea caused the temporary shutdown of various major display and components facilities, according to Reuters. A case of COVID-19 in Gumi triggered LG Display to temporarily suspend the operation of its display module facility over the risk of contracting the virus. But, several reports claim that the temporary closure would not last long.
It looks like LG Inotek is not the only company to suspend operations because of the COVID-19 temporarily. But, LG reportedly made the decision following reports that an employee at an adjacent bank in Gumi was confirmed to have the COVID-19. Few details are available at the moment, but online whispers have it the LG Display might resume its operation in the facility on Tuesday.
It is also not clear what effect the temporary shutdown may have on the company's production of its own phone and to other companies that rely on its production. The company would reportedly disinfect the facility on Monday.
Other Important Details
Aside from LG Display, Reuters also reported over the weekend that Samsung and LG Innotek were forced to close their factories recently. These factories are in Gumi and proximate to Daegu, where most cases of the virus were discovered. LG Innotek is very important to Apple since it is the supplier of its iPhone camera modules.
The company is anticipated to supply the camera module of the iPhone 12, which is expected to launch on Sept. 2020. If the shut down is just momentary, it might not affect the production and release window of the iPhone. But, at this point, it is too early to conclude on anything considering that the situation is developing.
The coronavirus outbreak has massively affected the economy of China. It also disrupts the supply chain of various companies. The deadly virus has spread outside China, and countries like South Korea and Japan are getting a taste of its fangs with the increased number of infected persons in their countries. Aside from those, the gaming industry also experienced the effect of the COVID-19.
Many scheduled major gaming events were delayed, canceled, or postponed to prevent the spread or to contract the virus. MWC already canceled that event in Barcelona, while GDC 2020 was postponed recently.
