Facing an increase of COVID-19 cases among its workers, shipbuilder Newport News Shipyard is instituting additional controls and preventive measures to better deal with the crisis.
Specifically, the shipbuilder announced that by Monday, May 4, is requiring a temperature check with an infrared thermometer for all personnel at the gate. Th company notes that anyone with either a body temperature above 100 degrees or anyone who denies taking the test will be not allowed inside.
In the meantime, while waiting, employees have to wear a mask and maintain the appropriate social distancing.
Taking additional measures, the workforce will be transitioned into a two-shift schedule, down from three shifts per day. More day shift workers will transition to the second shift, reducing the number of people in the yard at any one time.
The elimination of the third shift will give more time for cleaning work between shifts. All workers have been required to wear face masks within the yard since last week.
Up to now, there have been 13 positively tested, but have returned to work, while an additional number are in quarantine after being in contact with the positive cases.
Speaking to the Daily Press, NNS president Jennifer Boykin stated that the final layer of defense is taking the temperature at the entrance gate, adding that “NNS’ aggressive public health and paid quarantine policies have gone a long ways towards keeping the number of cases down so far.”
