‘1,216 workmen of Renault Nissan tested positive for virus, 6 died’

Number of workers reduced post lockdown, govt. tells HC

The Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) on Friday told the Madras High Court that 1,216 workmen of the Renault Nissan automobile manufacturing facility at Oragadam had tested positive for COVID-19 so far, with 50 active cases as of June 1. The court was also informed that six workmen had died since May 2020 due to the disease. Apprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy of the situation, Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram said 7,607 workers were employed at the factory prior to the lockdown on April 2, 2021. But the number had gone down, and only 5,153 were employed as of May 25. He said the number of cars manufactured had come down from 750 a day in April to 414 now.