Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday said three of its employees had tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 100 workers who came into close contact with them are quarantining at home and are to undergo rapid and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
The company said it endeavors to provide even stricter measures than those decreed by the government, and has notified dozens of workers who have had a lesser degree of contact with the infected employees and disabled their access to company facilities. It has also provided them with COVID-19 home test kits and arranged for further PCR tests.
The PCR tests will be completed in two days, the chipmaker said.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
TSMC said that its operations have not been affected by the confirmed cases, but it did not say which fabs are involved.
The Chinese-language Liberty Times (the sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday reported that they were employees at TSMC’s Fab 5 at the Hsinchu Science Park, which produces 8-inch wafers. TSMC has seven fabs in Hsinchu.
More than 200 workers have tested negative in initial tests, TSMC said in a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
The chipmaker plans to launch several rounds of rapid tests this week for employees to safeguard their health, it said.
The company said it has disinfected all surrounding areas at the fab.
It added that it would continue to operate in separate teams and expand the number of people working from home to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection.
TSMC’s primary consideration is safety and the company is monitoring the situation closely, it said.
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