A spokeswoman for Ford Motor Co. confirmed Sunday that while no U.S. employees have tested positive for COVID-19, a Ford factory in Spain has shut down due to three new cases within a 24-hour period.
The company provided the Free Press a statement about closing the plant for one week starting Monday:
“We have had three positive cases for COVID-19 on the Valencia site in a 24-hour period. We are taking quick action to follow the established protocol, including the identification and self-isolation of all employees who had close contact with the affected workers. We will take all other appropriate steps to ensure that risk from this situation is minimized.”
Ford Valencia already had three non-production days planned for this week, Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said in a statement. “In light of the COVID-19 situation, we have decided to now close the plant for the full week. … The plant management will monitor the situation during the week and decide on any next steps. The matter will be discussed with the unions at a meeting previously scheduled for this Monday.”
The plant, one of Ford’s largest outside the United States, employs about 5,400 and has the capacity to build 450,000 vehicles a year, including the Ford Transit Connect compact delivery van widely used by small businesses in the U.S.
Late Sunday, Felker confirmed the company is monitoring employee health nationwide and has no cases within the company in the U.S. White-collar workers have been asked to work from home in the U.S. and Europe, the company announced Friday.
In recent days, UAW members working in different auto factories have expressed concern about their safety and potential exposure. Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have formed a task force with the UAW to address safety. The Detroit Three employ about 150,000 UAW members.
Several factory workers from all three companies have voiced concern about safety precautions, and they worry that if a manufacturing site is infected the condition will spread rapidly.
“Ford’s top priority is always the safety and well-being of our workforce and other stakeholders,” Felker said. “We have formed a joint task force with the UAW, GM and FCA to enhance COVID-19 coronavirus protective measures for our workforce.”
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Contact Phoebe Wall Howard at 313-222-6512or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter.
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