Nike Closes Largest Warehouse After Employee Tests Positive For COVID-19

Nike‘s largest warehouse, which is located in Memphis, Tennessee, halted production, on Thursday, after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.

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“The health and safety of our team is always our first priority. We have temporarily closed one of our Memphis, TN, distribution facilities. During this period, we will be conducting a comprehensive disinfection process,” the company said in a statement sent to local outlet MLK50.

The warehouse is aiming for a quick return, ending the statement by setting a reopen date scheduled for April 5: “We are targeting to reopen at 6 a.m. Sunday, April 5.”

In 2019, the warehouse employed an estimated 3,200 full-time employees according to the Memphis Business Journal.

Nike has donated over $17 million to COVID-19 relief efforts. On April 3, the company announced an additional $1.6 million would go given out to those in need.

“When it comes to giving, our response is focused on the communities where our employees live and work,” said Jorge Casimiro, Nike’s chief social and impact officer. “We are doing an additional wave of $1.6 million focused in key cities, our employees’ backyards around the world.”

The New York Times estimates the current unemployment rate to sit at 13% country-wide following the outbreak of COVID-19.

[Via]