One of Volkswagen's automotive factories in Argentina is operating with new prevention protocols after being closed for two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, at a time when the South American country seeks to reactivate different activities to prevent its economy from suffering more blows.
The Volkswagen plant located in the city of General Pacheco -35 kilometers north of Buenos Aires- employs more than 3,700 people, who were affected by the quarantine that the Argentine government established on March 20 and which is still applied rigidly in the capital and its metropolitan area.
However, the factory reopened its doors in the middle of the month and according to the automaker, as preventive measures against COVID-19, the temperature of employees at the entrance of the plant is now measured, while the use of masks and chinstraps is Mandatory, and the dining room was closed.
The Argentine government is seeking to reactivate little by little an economy hit by the coronavirus and that was already going through a serious crisis before the arrival of the disease in the South American country, which includes a prolonged recession and a high interest rate which was driven by auto for trade.
Meanwhile, despite the pandemic, Volkswagen said it is investing 650 million dollars in the General Pacheco plant, which is good news for the government of President Alberto Fernández, which is also seeking to restructure a sovereign debt of 65,000 million. of dollars.
“It is a historic investment for our Pacheco plant. With this we are going to carry out a complete renovation process at our plant,” said Luis Placers, the manufacturing director of the Volkswagen plant.
The pandemic has affected Argentine industrial production and according to the official statistics body INDEC, the country's economic activity fell by 9.8% month-on-month in April due to the stoppage of various activities. In Argentina there are already more than 14,700 cases of coronavirus, of which more than 500 died.
