LG Displays workers cleared for Guangzhou entry amid restrictions

SEOUL, March 26 (Yonhap) -- LG Display Co. said Thursday it will send 290 workers to Guangzhou, China, to prepare for OLED display panel production there, after the Chinese government granted special entry for them amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

LG Displays said its engineers departed for Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on a chartered flight earlier in the day. They will stay at a quarantine facility arranged by the company before starting their work at the Guangzhou plant.

Since last week, the city of Guangzhou has been conducting virus tests on all arrivals and has mandated a 14-day quarantine.

LG Display said its workers will enter the country with a virus test certificate. The company said it will try to cut the quarantine period for them after negotiating with the municipal health authorities.

LG Display planned to begin mass production for OLED display panels at the Guangzhou plant in the first quarter of the year, but its schedule apparently faced a roadblock after China became the epicenter of the global novel coronavirus outbreak earlier this year.

Local analysts think LG Display will suffer poor earnings this year, as global TV sales are expected to decline due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

kdon@yna.co.kr
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