After coronavirus scare, Honda Motors partially resumes Wuhan plant operation

Honda Motor Co. on Wednesday said that it has partially resumed four-wheel vehicle production in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the new coronavirus outbreak, after obtaining permission from local authorities.

With the resumption in Wuhan, Honda has now put all of its production bases in China back to work after the pneumonia-causing disease disrupted operations, The Japan Times reported.

Honda initially aimed to restart production in the capital of Hubei province as early as February 24, but was compelled to extend the suspension until Tuesday in accordance with the policy of the Chinese provincial government.

Honda said parts of three four-wheel vehicle plants in the city restarted operations on Wednesday in what it called "small volumes."

The plants have a combined output of 600,000 units a year.

Meanwhile, Nissan Motor Co. plans to restart is plants in Xiangyang, also in Hubei province, and Zhengzhou in Henan province within this week. "We are preparing for the resumption while trying to ensure the safety of workers and closely monitoring supply chain conditions," a Nissan official said.