USA Today: Marick Masters on coronavirus impact on auto industry
Two Ford Motor employees in China were quarantined after being diagnosed with coronavirus and have made a full recovery, but the company declined to provide details about the situation or the patients. The company announced an immediate restriction on all domestic and international air travel: No travel within countries or no travel between countries. It's essentially a shelter-in-place advisory until at least March 27. Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University who closely monitors the automotive industry, said the coronavirus will directly affect production and sales. "Ford employs about 37,000 people in China, where production and other economic activities have shut down due to this public health threat," Masters said. "Public health is a major risk factor for businesses in any industry, but especially those like auto with globally interdependent supply chains."
