Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles are all restricting employee air travel to limit the spread of the coronavirus, The Detroit News reports.
A pair of Ford workers in China recently contracted the coronavirus and while the company says these employees are getting better, it doesn’t want to take any risks and has decided to sharply restrict air travel until March 27 at the earliest.
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“Those two employees in China are both getting better,” Ford spokesman T.R. Reid said. “We just think caution is the right thing for our folks. It’s something we are committed to all the time.”
Ford says it is only allowing “business-critical” travel that’s been approved by senior-level management. The automaker has been following the spread of the virus daily since late January and decided to halt domestic and international air travel on Tuesday.
Similarly, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has requested that air travel of its employees be prioritized to “essential needs” and must be pre-approved by a member of its leadership team. The automaker is not aware of any employees that have been exposed to the virus.
As for General Motors, it recently implemented a new policy requiring additional screening for all visitors looking to enter GM facilities. Additionally, people who have traveled to China, Italy, Iran, Japan, and South Korea within the last 14 days, or have been exposed to someone who has, will be denied access to all GM facilities.
Employees are also not permitted to travel to China, Italy, Japan, and South Korea and additional non-domestic travel has been restricted unless deemed critical and approved by senior management.
