Samsung kept Vietnam factories open by isolating workers during Covid-19 surge

In early 2021, Vietnam’s strict zero‑Covid strategy began to falter as the Delta variant spread through industrial zones in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces, where Samsung Display operates its smartphone and tablet factories. Facing a government order to either shut down or isolate workers from the community, Samsung Display chose to move employees onto factory premises, providing them with temporary lodging in warehouses and classrooms so they could continue to live, eat and work on-site.

For nearly three weeks, workers slept on mattresses in warehouses, ate in partitioned canteens and shuttled between the dormitory, canteen and production line under strict virus controls. The arrangement kept the assembly lines running, maintained Samsung’s output of phones and tablets, and helped sustain Vietnam’s electronics export momentum during the pandemic, although workers reported fatigue, isolation and monotony.

Maintained smartphone and tablet output, prevented factory closures, and protected Vietnam's electronics export revenue.

The Delta variant caused a rapid rise in Covid-19 cases around Samsung’s Vietnamese factories, threatening workforce health and production continuity.

Vietnamese authorities issued an ultimatum: factories must either close or isolate workers on‑site to preserve the country’s zero‑Covid stance and protect foreign investment.

Samsung’s leadership decided that keeping the factories operational was critical to meet global demand for its devices and to avoid supply‑chain disruptions.

Isolating workers on-site can sustain production during health crises, but must balance operational needs with worker welfare.

After the three‑week isolation period, Vietnam’s case numbers declined and the government eased restrictions, allowing workers to return to their homes. Samsung Display resumed normal factory operations, and the episode highlighted the lengths manufacturers would go to keep supply chains alive during a pandemic. The experience also prompted later investments in better on‑site health facilities and more flexible workforce policies for future crises.