General Motors Co. said yesterday that it was gradually restarting the transmission and motor lines at its Mexican facilities in Silao and Ramos Arizpe, while U.S. auto parts maker Lear Corp. also geared up for production, Reuters reported. GM Mexico said the assembly plants at Ramos Arizpe in the northern state of Coahuila, and Silao in the central state of Guanajuato, could restart operations on Friday depending on suppliers, and that it was assessing when to reopen plants in the central state of San Luis Potosi, and in Toluca, near Mexico City. The steps to restart production are welcome news for the North American auto sector, with supply lines highly interconnected among the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Automotive factories in Mexico have been idled for weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected 59,567 people and killed 6,510 in Mexico so far. GM staff returning to work in Mexico must use personal protective equipment at all times, keep a “safe distance” of 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) from each other, and have their temperatures checked when entering the plant, a message to workers showed. The government said last week that Mexico’s automotive industry could exit the coronavirus lockdown before June 1 if firms had approved safety measures in place.
