Following Lockdown of the City
Samsung Electronics has put its semiconductor plant in Xian, China into emergency mode as the Chinese government locked down the city to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The company is expected to discuss with local Chinese public health authorities ways to allow key officials to stay in separate accommodations and freely enter the workplace.
The Chinese city implemented the blockade on Dec. 22 as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surged. Xian has a population of about 13 million. Only one person in each household can go out once every two days to purchase daily necessities. Companies must have their employees work from home.
Samsung Electronics has NAND Plants 1 and 2 in Xian. Plant 1 has been in full operation since 2014. The Korean semiconductor giant started making its first phase investment in Plant 2 in 2018 and began rolling out products in March 2020. The second phase is near its end. The two plants can process 120,000 and 130,000 sheets of wafer per month, respectively. They account for about half of Samsung Electronics’ annual NAND production.