Screening centers coming to Ingalls after employee tests positive for coronavirus
An Ingalls Shipbuilding employee who works in the Pascagoula facility has tested positive for COVID-19, Ingalls president Brian Cuccias said in a letter to the company.
The employee was assigned to the USS Fort Lauderdale at the shipyard and has been working the first shift of the day for the past two weeks. The worker will be in quarantine for at least 14 days. The letter states that the employee will not return to work until he is medically cleared to do so.
Mississippi State Department of Health announced 67 new confirmed cases Sunday and said 775 people had been tested so far in the state.
The shipyard employs over 11,500 people in Pascagoula.
The letter did not identify the worker, but Cuccias states that anyone who has “worked in the immediate vicinity of this employee” should notify their supervisor.
There will be two screening centers at the shipyard, according to the letter.
“While this news is concerning, Ingalls urges all employees to remain calm and continue to limit interactions and practice social distancing to the greatest extent possible,” Cuccias said. “This practice is the best defense against transmission of the COVID-19 virus. The health and safety of our employees is our primary focus right now.”
This story was originally published March 22, 2020 at 10:30 PM.