COVID-19 Positive Diagnoses at DENSO Affiliates
From July 10–17, 2020, we have had 30 new positive COVID-19 diagnoses at DENSO affiliates in North America. That brings our total to 124 positive diagnoses across the region.
This can be a deadly virus. And we are deeply saddened to report that we have lost one associate to this virus.
Associate Positive Diagnoses by Country
| Country | Total Number of Positive Diagnoses | Number of Deaths |
| U.S. | 82 | 1 |
| Mexico | 42 | 0 |
| Canada | 0 | 0 |
Where COVID Infections Happened (inside DENSO or in the Community)
Internal – transmission attributed to DENSO site contact
External – transmission attributed to community or home
No infections have been found to have taken place at work.
All cases have been identified as community spread. We believe this is because of our strong safety measures we have in place, including:
- Daily health screenings and temperature scans before entry
- Requiring face coverings
- Barriers where possible
- Physical distancing markers
- Increased cleaning and disinfecting
Why are associates getting sick?
Associates are getting sick because we’re not using good safety habits when we’re outside of work. Many of us spend time together when we’re not working. That increases the risk of spreading infection among our co-workers if we’re not practicing the same safety standards we use at work:
- Wearing a face covering
- Physically distancing
- Washing our hands
Why does it matter what I do outside work?
If you get sick, you put your loved ones at risk. You also put the company at risk. If too many associates are out, we can’t meet our customer orders. If we can’t meet our customer orders, we might not be able to maintain job security.
Your safety is important. That’s why we focus on safety, even when we’re not in the middle of a pandemic. Our safety measures are helping to keep COVID-19 out of the workplace. We’ve strongly protected all associates financially since the pandemic began, because we value you and we need you. But you have to do your part. We can’t afford to have one more associate out of work because they are sick.
We know some people question if these safety measures actually work, because guidance from medical professionals has changed over the past few months. Remember, this is a novel virus. That means this is a new virus type that has never been identified in humans before. And that’s why recommendations on how to stay safe are sometimes modified or updated as scientists and doctors learn more about how this virus is spread and how it affects people.
How does DENSO clean and sanitize?
DENSO has cleaning and disinfecting processes in place, especially for common touch points, like break areas and cafeterias. We have three levels of cleaning depending on the situation:
- Category 1 (daily ongoing cleaning): Wiping down all equipment, production area surfaces, and common touch points with EPA Registered Biocide or CDC recommended bleach mixture (we all can support this type of daily cleaning, before and after our shifts or when rotating to another work station, by using DENSO-supplied cleaning materials)
- Category 2 (when a person exhibits symptoms): Wiping of equipment & production area surfaces with EPA Registered Biocide and/or CDC recommended bleach mixture + optional fogging with EPA Registered Biocide or ultraviolet light
- Category 3 (confirmed COVID diagnosis)*: Fogging and wiping of surfaces and equipment by professionally certified cleaning crew
* Per CDC guidelines, if an associate receives a positive diagnosis after being out of the workplace for more than seven days, there is no need for Category 3 cleaning.