Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC), the largest chip contract manufacturer in the world, wants 30,000 of its employees to work at home after a staff member was confirmed to have the coronavirus last week, reports said Tuesday (March 24).

On March 18, an employee tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) and was admitted to hospital for treatment, while 30 colleagues were asked to stay in quarantine for 14 days.

Staff not employed on the production line will work from home until April 12, while all employees have been asked not to make any foreign trips for the time being, CNA reported Tuesday.

Initially, the company had only said that staff should refrain from unnecessary travel, but the rapid spread of the virus on a worldwide scale led to management toughening up its measures.

TSMC said the virus outbreak has not affected production, with the company's operations continuing as normal

© Pakistan Press International, source Asianet-Pakistan