Ford briefly stops lines at Chicago plant after 2 workers test positive

DETROIT — Manufacturing at Ford Motor Co.’s Chicago Assembly Plant was briefly halted Tuesday afternoon and once more overnight after two employees at the site’s SHO Centre analyzed positive for COVID-19.

The incident is the 1st regarded problem at Ford considering the fact that the automaker restarted creation at most of its North American assembly plants Monday.

The SHO Centre, named for the Taurus SHO performance sedan that utilized to be designed in Chicago, sits about a mile from the principal plant. Personnel there sequence the areas that go into the Explorer and Aviator crossovers.

The two staff had manufactured it by means of Ford’s temperature scanner and daily health and fitness study screening system. It was not straight away obvious how Ford became mindful they have been sick or in which they have been analyzed for the virus.

“The basic safety of our operate power is our prime priority,” Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker claimed in a assertion. “When two staff who returned to operate this 7 days analyzed positive for COVID-19, we straight away notified people regarded to have been in near make contact with with the contaminated folks and requested them to self-quarantine for fourteen days.

“We also deep cleaned and disinfected the operate space, devices, crew space and the path that the crew member took. Chicago Assembly is now managing.”

Felker claimed the staff did not deal the virus though at operate. Ford previously claimed it would supply screening to symptomatic staff in metro regions, like Chicago, in which it has assembly plants.

“The UAW proceeds to aggressively watch the implementation of health and fitness and basic safety protocols to secure our customers their people and the group,” union spokesman Brian Rothenerg claimed in a assertion.

Ford final thirty day period claimed it would not have screening readily available for its overall operate power by the time most North The usa factories reopened, but it really is working to supply that in the coming months.

The CBS tv affiliate in Chicago noted on the scenario late Tuesday.