Staff Reports
Toyota Material Handling shut down its production facilities Thursday after learning one of its associates is a presumed positive case for COVID-19.
The shutdown is scheduled for today as well, with the forklift manufacturing facility anticipating the ability to reopen for production on Monday, a company spokesman said.
Toyota is proceeding with a full sterilization protocol for its production facilities, a company spokesman said.
While the company’s office and parts distribution areas were not affected, the company is testing a work-from-home plan for associates where that is an option to reduce the campus population, the spokesman said.
There were two ambulance runs to the Toyota manufacturing facility on Wednesday. Late Wednesday night, the company announced that one of its employees could be a positive case, but is not a confirmed positive.
All Toyota Material Handling and Adecco Shop Floor associates did not report to work Thursday or today, but will receive their regular pay rate for the two days, the company spokesman said.
Those working in the office and those in the parts distribution center did report to work Thursday and were expected today.
NTN Driveshaft and Cummins have not announced any changes to their plans to continue work at their production facilities.
On Wednesday, automakers Honda, Ford, General Motors and Fiat-Chrysler announced they would temporarily halt production in North America to protect their workforces and boost containment for the coronavirus, in anticipation of lower demand due to the pandemic.
Included in the shutdown was Honda Manufacturing of Indiana in Greensburg, which said it was suspending production for six days, along with all of Honda’s plans in the nation, from March 23 to 31. All Honda employees nationwide are receiving full compensation during the six-day hiatus, the company said.
