Beijing-based employees of the German carmarker Volkswagen have been ordered to work from home for two weeks after the end of the Lunar New Year holiday due to the outbreak of a deadly new strain of coronavirus that originated in China, the German automotive portal AutomobilWoche reported on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th January, 2020) Beijing-based employees of the German carmarker Volkswagen have been ordered to work from home for two weeks after the end of the Lunar New Year holiday due to the outbreak of a deadly new strain of coronavirus that originated in China, the German automotive portal AutomobilWoche reported on Wednesday.
The Lunar New Year holiday in China was originally scheduled to take place from January 24 to January 30. However, China's State Council announced that the holiday would be extended to February 2 across the country due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Volkswagen stated that all employees in the Chinese city of Beijing should work from home until February 17, the automotive portal reported. The German carmaker reportedly took the move in order to prevent its employees from contracting the virus.
According to the latest official data, 111 confirmed cases of the novel form of viral pneumonia have been confirmed in the Chinese capital. On Monday, officials announced the first death in Beijing from coronavirus.
The novel strain of coronavirus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December. It has since spread within China and to at least 15 other countries. So far, there are over 6,000 confirmed cases in China alone. 133 people in China have died after contracting the virus.
