DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Ford team member working at a building on the automaker's engineer campus in Dearborn has tested positive for COVID-19, the company confirmed to 7 Action News.
Related: Full coverage – Coronavirus outbreak in Michigan
According to Ford, the employee was working at Building 5 on the campus, and a letter has been sent out to employees informing them of the development.
The company said that the team member had not been at work between getting exposed to the virus and being diagnosed several days later, which means the person could not have transmitted the virus to others at work.
On Tuesday, General Motors also announced an employee at the Cole Engineering Center tested positive for COVID-19.
Employees at the Cole Technical Center and other sites have been directed to work from home, if possible.
In addition, the GM medical team is contacting individuals who may have had direct contact at work with the affected employee.
Those individuals will be directed to self-quarantine for 14 days; the GM medical team will help them coordinate care if they develop symptoms.
Last week, the UAW and the Big 3 announced a COVID-19 task force for blue collar employees.
UAW President Rory Gamble, GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra, Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford, Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett and FCA CEO Michael Manely will lead the task force.
Others supporting include UAW-GM VP Terry Dittes, UAW-Ford VP Gerald Kariem, UAW-FCA VP Cindy Estrada and the medical stff and labor leadership teams at all three companies.
“Workplace health and safety is a priority for us every day, all three companies have been taking steps to keep the COVID-19/coronavirus out of their facilities and during this national emergency, we will do even more working together,” Gamble said. “We are focused on doing the right thing for our people, their families, our communities and the country. All options related to protecting against exposure to the virus are on the table.”