Ford Reports Two Coronavirus Cases at Chicago Factory--Update
21 May 2020 - 3:51AM
Dow Jones News
By Mike Colias
Ford Motor Co. closed its Chicago assembly plant for several
hours on Tuesday after two employees tested positive for Covid-19,
an early indication of the challenges the auto industry faces as
production resumes after a two-month shutdown.
Ford idled the factory twice for several hours Tuesday after
separately confirming the two positive cases, a company spokeswoman
said. The plant, which makes Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator
sport-utility vehicles, was operating again Wednesday morning after
parts of the facility were disinfected.
"Due to incubation time, we know these employees did not
contract Covid-19 while at work," the spokeswoman said. "Our
protocols are in place to help stop the spread of the virus."
The closure came the day after Detroit's auto makers began
restarting their U.S. factories, which were idled around March 20
as the coronavirus pandemic took hold. The companies have spent
several weeks preparing measures to ensure a safe work environment.
They include temperature checks, plastic barriers between work
stations and even electronic bracelets that beep if an employee
violates social-distancing rules.
Executives and analysts have warned that the industry's restart
will be slow and complex, including the risk of infections popping
up at auto makers' factories and at those of suppliers.
The car companies have resumed operations with far fewer workers
making vehicles in extremely small volumes as they gradually resume
operations. Executives have said production will start slowly as
workers familiarize themselves with safety measures, parts trickle
in from suppliers and machinery is tested after the long idle
period.
The two Ford employees had passed an initial temperature check
when they arrived for their shifts on Tuesday, the company
spokeswoman said. It was unclear how they later tested positive
during their work shifts, she said. Employees who had close contact
with the workers were asked to self-quarantine for two weeks.
Ford experienced a troubled rollout last year of a redesigned
Explorer and the Aviator, a new SUV model, after a major overhaul
of the Chicago factory. Executives cited the problematic launch as
a major reason that Ford fell short of its profit target in 2019,
but have said the factory now is operating smoothly.
Write to Mike Colias at Mike.Colias@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 20, 2020 13:36 ET (17:36 GMT)
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