Gates ceases production after 9 employees test positive

Nine employees at a Brandon manufacturing company tested positive for the coronavirus.

In response, Gates Corporation has decided to temporarily close its Brandon facility April 20-24. Company officials plan to reopen the facility April 27. During the temporary closure, employee benefits will remain in place. 

The nine employees, Vattano said, are receiving medical care and will remain under quarantine until cleared by a physician. It is unknown if these nine employees are Brandon residents.

“As soon as we received notification of the first positive diagnosis, we instructed the employees and any co-workers believed to have been in close contact with the employee to self-quarantine for 14 days. We repeated our self-quarantine directive for any subsequent co-workers that have been in close contact with the additional six employees who received a positive diagnosis. Additionally, enhanced cleaning and sanitation practices were immediately initiated in the facility,” said Ani Vattano, director of corporate communications for Gates.

Vattano said customer demand for product has decreased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic slowdown.

“We will continue to analyze business conditions and adjust as necessary to preserve jobs and position our company as an economic engine for the future,” said Vattano.

Gates is also temporarily closing approximately 100 plants, offices, labs and distribution centers around the world. 

“These global policies meet or exceed all local, country and regional government guidelines and include measures to reduce employee density, increase cleaning and hygiene, work-from-home and self-quarantine orders, restriction of travel and in-person site visits and more,” Vattano said.

Gates will continue to actively monitor all health-and-safety aspects of the global pandemic and the resulting economic circumstances. 

“We are working closely with public health officials in the Brandon area and will adapt as necessary to protect our employees, their families and our community,” Vattano said.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Dakota continues to rise, reaching 1,685 cases as of April 20. In Minnehaha County alone, there are 1,405 cases and Lincoln County reports 95 cases. 

A total of 514 cases are now reported as “recovered” in Minnehaha County, and 4,317 tested negative as Monday, April 20.

Lincoln County numbers list 1,006 cases as negative, and 48 as recovered.

Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls was cited as the nation’s “hot spot” last week, where the Department of Health determined that more than 720 cases are tied to Smithfield workers. In addition, 143 people have tested positive after being in direct contact with Smithfield workers. 

The state’s death toll now sits at seven, up one with a death reported last week.

As of Monday, recoveries in South Dakota totaled 709, and 56 individuals are currently hospitalized.