Whirlpool Corporation temporarily closing plant due to COVID-19 cases

TULSA, Okla. — Home appliance manufacturer Whirlpool Corporation is temporarily closing a facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, because of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the company said Friday.

"Whirlpool Corporation's Tulsa plant has confirmed additional cases of COVID-19 and will be temporarily closing - effective immediately," the company said in a statement, according to WHBQ-TV. "We are planning to reopen early next week, and employees will be contacted directly with more information."

The statement continued: "The health and safety of our employees and the community are our top priority. We can’t comment on individual employee situations, but every action we take at the plant is for the health and safety of our people. With each COVID-19 case in the plant there is a thorough investigation that includes contact tracing.

"Any individuals who come in close contact with diagnosed employees have been notified and have been quarantined. The plant is regularly cleaned per CDC guidelines and will be cleaned again before re-opening. We are continuing robust safety measures in accordance with health and government guidelines -- including heightened cleaning protocols, increased distances on our production lines, daily onsite temperature checks, requiring all employees wear a mask, and ensuring employees have proper sanitization equipment.”

According to Johns Hopkins University, coronavirus cases in Oklahoma are trending upward for the current two-week period.

The peak of news cases in a single day occurred in the state on April 3 with 147 new cases reported. On June 10, 140 new cases were reported in a single day.

See which states are flattening the curve and which ones are seeing upward trends here.