More than a thousand Top Glove workers infected with coronavirus – 28 of 47 factories will be closed.
According to its own information, the world's largest manufacturer of plastic surgical gloves, Top Glove from Malaysia, has to close more than half of its plants after hundreds of employees have been infected with the corona virus. “Based on the advice of the Ministry of Health, it was agreed at a special meeting today to close 28 top glove factories,” said Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Monday. Top Glove has 47 factories, 41 of which are in Malaysia.
Many workers in Malaysia are from Nepal and live in overcrowded dormitories. There are allegations of exploitation: the US banned the company's gloves from buying in July on charges of forced labor.
On Monday, more than a thousand Top Glove workers tested positive for the coronavirus – out of around 5,700 people tested. In Malaysia, the number of infected people is currently increasing sharply. The Southeast Asian state has so far more than 56,000 infected and 337 people who have died from the virus.
Numerous Top Glove factories are located in an industrial area near the capital, Kuala Lumpur. The company can produce more than 700 billion gloves annually, making it one of the world's largest suppliers. To what extent the closure of the factories will affect supplies, Top Glove did not announce on Monday.
