Auto

GM Says There's Been No Transmission Of COVID-19 In Plants

​GM's global manufacturing chief said the company hasn't had any incidents of COVID-19 spread since it implemented safety protocols last month.

GM Says There's Been No Transmission Of COVID-19 In Plants
Matt Rourke / AP
SMS

During a video town hall on Tuesday, General Motors' global manufacturing chief said the company hasn't had any incidents of COVID-19 spread in any facilities since it implemented new safety protocols.

"And our confidence is in, since we've done that, we've had no transmission of the virus inside of our facilities," Gerald Johnson said. "Not in China, not in South Korea, not here in North America."

The automaker temporarily suspended manufacturing operations in North America back in March due to the outbreak, and has since began producing ventilators and masks at some of its plants. In early April, GM rolled out a series of safety measures for workers, including daily temperature checks, wearing protective masks, and maintaining social distancing.

The company said it's looking to restart vehicle production at assembly plants in the U.S. and Canada next week. With the global impact of the pandemic, GM saw an 87% drop in profits in the first quarter compared to last year's numbers.