Boeing shuts down South Carolina facility because of coronavirus spread
Boeing announced it is temporarily shutting down its airplane manufacturing plant in South Carolina as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
At the end of the second shift on Wednesday, the facility in North Charleston will suspend all operations until further notice, Boeing officials said in a news release.
Final assembly on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is done at the North Charleston plant. Employees working on the 787, as well as those in the Airport Campus, Emergent Operations, Interiors Responsibility Center South Carolina, and Propulsion South Carolina will be affected by the shutdown, according to the release.
“It is our commitment to focus on the health and safety of our teammates while assessing the spread of the virus across the state, its impact on the reliability of our global supply chain and that ripple effect on the 787 program,” Boeing vice president, general manager of the 787 Program and BSC site leader Brad Zaback said in the release. “We are working in alignment with state and local government officials and public health officials to take actions that best protect our people.”
During the closure, enhanced cleaning will take place at the Boeing plant, officials said.
Employees who are able to work remotely will not be impacted by the shutdown, according to the release. But those unable to telecommute to work will receive paid leave for 10 working days, officials said.
Beyond that, employees will have to use “paid time off benefits or file for emergency state unemployment benefits,” according to the release.
Boeing said all employees will continue to be eligible for benefits during the suspension.
This is the latest blow to Boeing during the coronavirus spread.
On March 16, former South Carolina Gov. and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley resigned from Boeing’s board of directors after the company requested a bailout during the coronavirus pandemic.
A week later on March 23, an employee at Boeing South Carolina tested positive for COVID-19. At that point production continued on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.
Little more than a week after that on April 1, Boeing offered voluntary layoffs to 161,000 employees, including those in South Carolina, because of the financial woes and future uncertainty caused by the coronavirus.
Additionally, Boeing’s factories in Washington State have been closed since March 25, impacting about 70,000 employees.
“During this time of suspension on the 787 program, Boeing will continue to ... monitor the global supply chain as the situation evolves,” Zaback said. “When the suspension is lifted, the 787 program will take an orderly approach to restarting production with a focus on safety, quality, integrity and meeting customer commitments.”
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Boeing is not the only manufacturing giant with facilities in South Carolina to have production disrupted by the spread of COVID-19.
The BMW manufacturing plant in South Carolina shut down on March 25, and will remain closed through the end of April. About 11,000 people work at the Spartanburg plant.
Volvo closed all U.S. and Swedish plants through April 14, it said. That includes its plant in Ridgeville, Berkeley County, which employs roughly 1,500 workers and produces up to 150,000 cars per year. It is the only American plant the company has.
The Samsung Electronics Home Appliance plant in Newberry County shut down on April 1 after two employees tested positive for the coronavirus.
On Monday, 183 new cases of the coronavirus were reported in South Carolina, bringing the statewide total to 2,232 confirmed COVID-19 cases in all 46 counties, according to DHEC.
There have been 300 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Charleston County, second to Richland County (311) for most in South Carolina, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
DHEC also announced that four more people died after testing positive for the coronavirus, raising that total to 48 in a month. State health officials described 46 of the people as elderly, two patients were middle-aged, and all but four had underlying medical conditions.
There have been 19,152 combined negative tests at DHEC’s public health laboratory and at private labs.
Symptoms of coronavirus can include a fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing, according to the CDC. Among the emergency warning signs of COVID-19 is trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, and blueish lips or face, the CDC said.
The best way to prevent infection is to frequently wash hands for 20 seconds; avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth; avoid contact with sick people and clean frequently touched objects with a cleaning spray or wipe, according to the CDC. DHEC also recommends covering your cough, staying home when sick, and disposing tissues and other items that you’ve sneezed or coughed into.
Free online screenings also can be accessed by all South Carolina residents, by going to scdhec.gov/COVID19.
Prisma Health is also offering free access to medical professionals for those who think they may have coronavirus, The State reported. People experiencing COVID-19 symptoms can go to https://www.prismahealth.org/virtual-visit/ and schedule a free online visit, Prisma officials said.
As of Tuesday morning, 1,359,398 people worldwide have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 75,945 people have died, while 289,109 recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States leads the world with 368,449 people who have been diagnosed with the novel virus. In the U.S. 10,993 deaths have been reported, including 3,485 in New York City, according to Johns Hopkins.
This story was originally published April 7, 2020 at 8:23 AM.
