Coronavirus 2020: Nissan suspends production at Sunderland plant

Nissan has suspended production at its factory in Sunderland due to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.

Around 7000 workers are employed at the facility, which currently produces the Leaf, Qashqai and new Juke models. It is the third car factory faced with temporary closure in the UK, with the PSA Group announcing yesterday that it would close all its facilities, including Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port and Luton plans.

In a statement, Nissan said: "The company is following all advice from national governments and has implemented a range of measures to ensure the welfare of employees and communities. Additionally, Nissan is ready to support any initiatives where its manufacturing and engineering expertise can be useful.

"In Nissan Sunderland Plant, vehicle production stopped earlier today (March 17th) and has now been suspended until the end of this week. We will continue to monitor the situation."

Major manufacturers including Ford, Volkswagen, PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have all announced widespread shutdowns of factories across continental Europe in recent days, as the spread of Covid-19 on the Continent continues to accelerate.

Not all of those decisions currently affect UK plants; Ford's continental Europe shutdown does not include its two engine plants in the UK, while Bentley's Crewe facility continues with "stable production".