MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. Car manufacturers in Russia's regions, including Kamaz, Avtovaz, GAZ Group, Mazda Sollers, which suspended auto production on March 30, have resumed operations, the companies’ representatives said Monday.
The biggest car makers halted production on March 30 due to a paid week off declared in the country as part of efforts to reduce the rates of the novel coronavirus infection spread.
Production resumed at the Kamaz plant on Monday. "Yes, (production resumed)," head of the company’s press service Oleg Afanasyev told TASS.
Avtovaz resumed the work of departments involved in development of new projects, bookkeeping and accounting, as well as health, safety and environment, on April 6, head of the plant’s trade union Sergei Zaitsev told reporters. In accordance with a decree issued by the Samara Region’s government dated April 3, Avtovaz as a systemic company will continue the work during the days declared as days off.
Mazda Sollers car plant in Vladivostok resumed operations on Monday. "As of today, 98% of office employees have been moved to remote work, strictly observing self-isolation," a source in its press service told TASS, adding that "the plant personnel are at work, with all measures aimed at preventing the infection spread applied." The facility has been allowed by the government of the Primorsky Region to resume production operations.
A number of enterprises of GAZ Group resumed production on April 6. Particularly, operations resumed at the Yaroslavl Motor Plant, Yaroslavl Diesel Equipment Plant and certain units of the Likinsk Bus Plant on Monday, the company’s spokesman told TASS. "The plants of GAZ Group are on the list of Russia’s systemic enterprises and seriously influence the economy and employment in their presence regions. Their work schedule is determined as agreed with the regional authorities," he added.
According to a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier, a paid week off was declared in the country from March 30 to April 3 in move to curb the coronavirus infection spread. Later, the President announced the decision to extend days off by the end of the month.
According to the latest data, more than 1,300,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide and nearly 70,000 deaths have been reported. In Russia, a total of 6,343 coronavirus cases have been confirmed as of April 6, with 406 patients having recovered from the virus. The country’s latest data indicates 47 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.