Coronavirus: Samsung closes Galaxy Z Flip factory after employee tests positive for deadly virus

Release date for new folding phone remains unchanged

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip phones are seen on display during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event in San Francisco, California on February 11, 2020 (JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Samsung has shut down a factory in South Korea used to manufacture its new Galaxy Z Flip phone after an employee tested positive for coronavirus.

The world’s biggest smartphone maker said the worker at its Gumi complex was diagnosed with the virus, known as COVID-19, on Saturday and that measures had been taken to prevent further spread.

“The company has placed colleagues who came in contact with the infected employee in self-quarantine and taken steps to have them tested for possible infection,” the South Korean company said in a statement.

Samsung did not state whether the 13 March release date of the Galaxy Z Flip would be affected as a result of the factory closure.

Last year, the company was forced to delay the release of its first foldable phone – the Galaxy Fold – due to issues with the folding mechanism.

Samsung is the latest technology giant to be affected by coronavirus, with Apple saying it will not hit quarterly earnings targets as a result of the outbreak limiting its production of iPhones.

Analysts also warned that the supply chain of Huawei could face significant disruptions as a result of the illness, though the Chinese firm has so far played down its potential impact.

So far around 80,000 people around the world have been infected with coronavirus, according to a tracking database by John Hopkins University. The tool showed that 25,000 people had recovered from infections but there have been more than 2,600 deaths.

More than 600 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in South Korea, which has placed the country on its highest "red alert" for infectious diseases.

One of the worst affected areas has been in Daegu and the North Gyeongsang Province, where Samsung's Gumi factory is situated.

"Although the situation is grave, we can overcome it," said President Moon-Jae-in, according The Korea Herald.

"The government has adequate ability and confidence to control and manage the spread of the infectious disease. Trust and cooperation are the way to win the fight against the virus."