Honeywell, Renewal by Andersen temporarily close plants after employees test positive for COVID-19

Virus cases among staff prompt temporary closures for cleaning.

May 9, 2020 at 12:56AM
The Honeywell plant on Stinson Boulevard in Minneapolis has temporarily closed for deep-cleaning. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, file)
Honeywell's Stinson Boulevard plant in Minneapolis has closed for deep cleaning after four employees tested positive for COVID-19. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Honeywell has shut down its Stinson Boulevard plant in Minneapolis for deep cleaning and sanitization after four employees tested positive for COVID-19.

A worker tested positive on Tuesday, and then three more positive tests came back Thursday, the company said.

The plant makes sensors and laser gyros.

Honeywell said it had moved machines and work cells apart to allow social distancing several weeks ago. Workers must wear masks.

The temporary plant shutdown is "out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our employees," the company said in a statement.

Employees will be paid during the closure, the statement said.

Honeywell's temporary closure comes the same week that Renewal By Andersen closed its replacement-window plant in Cottage Grove after two workers tested positive for COVID-19.

Contact tracing is being conducted so anyone who had contact with the infected workers can be notified, officials said.

Honeywell said a rough estimate of positive cases at its 30 U.S. facilities is 100.

Already, Honeywell has increased the daily cleaning at its Minnesota plants — the Stinson Boulevard plant in Minneapolis plus Golden Valley, Plymouth and Rochester. The company also has banned outside visitors, and if employees could not be far enough apart working on machines, it installed plexiglass partitions between the workstations.

Employees also have their temperature taken every time they enter the facility, the company said.

Dee DePass • 612-673-7725

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Dee DePass

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Dee DePass is an award-winning business reporter covering Minnesota small businesses for the Star Tribune. She previously covered commercial real estate, manufacturing, the economy, workplace issues and banking.

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