NA: COVID-19 Positive Diagnoses at DENSO Affiliates (Aug. 7-14, 2020)
From August 7-14, 2020, we have had 61 new positive COVID-19 diagnoses at DENSO affiliates in North America. That brings our total to 317 positive diagnoses across the region.
| Country | Total Positive Diagnosis | Number of Deaths | Exposed in Community | Exposed at DENSO | Unable to Determine | Under Investigation |
| US | 156 | 1 | 147 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| MX | 161 | 0 | 156 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| CN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NA TOTALS | 317 | 1 | 303 | 0 | 6 | 8 |
Contact tracing investigations:
Last week, we communicated that one (1) associate may have contracted the virus at work. After further investigation, additional information from the associate, and thorough contact tracing, it has been determined that the associate contracted the virus from a relative.
Even though this virus was confirmed to be contracted outside of work, we did identify opportunities for improvement – actions both the company and associates can take to continue to minimize risk.
We recognize that social distancing is difficult and sometimes easy to forget, so we are identifying areas that may need additional barriers. However, barriers alone will not minimize risk. We all play a role in minimizing risk by wearing face coverings correctly and at all times, adhering to safety barriers, and practicing good hygiene. We must also have a heightened awareness of our actions and how we work with others in this new normal, finding new ways to communicate and collaborate.
We will continue to evaluate our workspaces and consider how we can minimize population density in specific areas or improve safety barriers. We ask that associates also be engaged in diligently practicing safety first in all we do.
What is contact tracing?
Contact tracing involves identifying people who have an infectious disease and their contacts (people who may have been exposed) and working with them to stop the spread. DENSO Safety and Health specialists work closely with DENSO Family Health Center experts and/or local public health departments to go through this process.
Contact tracing for COVID-19 typically involves:
- Interviewing people with COVID-19 to identify everyone with whom they had close contact during the time they may have been infectious,
- Notifying contacts of their potential exposure,
- Referring contacts for testing,
- Monitoring contacts for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, and
- Connecting contacts with services they might need during the self-quarantine period
Contact tracing can be a lengthy process depending on how many people an infected person interacted with, how long it takes to get test results for each person, and time spent monitoring symptoms. This is why we must continue to be persistent in our safety practices at DENSO and in our communities. DENSO has several safety measures and policies, such as social distancing and wearing face coverings, that, when diligently practiced, help reduce risk of spreading or contracting this virus.
We are committed to transparency in sharing COVID-19 cases, investigations and updates on our findings. We will continue to share this information with you, as well as implement additional safety measure as necessary to help ensure the safety of our associates.
Will there be COVID-19 testing at DENSO?
Many have asked if DENSO will conduct regular COVID-19 testing on-site as part of our proactive safety measures. The answer is no.
- COVID-19 tests only measure a moment in time. If someone is infected shortly after being tested, it won’t show up in the testing, and we may feel a false sense of security based on negative results.
- Availability of testing and the time it can take to get test results also presents a challenge. In some of our communities, it is more difficult to get a test and/or can take several days to get results of those tests.
We will continue to assess the situation and may reconsider this as an option for the future, but for now, we will not do regular mass testing of associates.
It’s up to all of us.
- Let us all commit that, without fail, we will all take responsibility to follow safety rules including faithfully reporting any symptoms upon entry to the buildings, always wearing face coverings (except when eating, drinking, or smoking), and practicing social distancing.
- Let us all commit to care for those around us by helpfully encouraging everyone to follow the safety rules.
- Let us all commit that if we see areas of risk where rules are not followed or the rules themselves are not strong enough, let’s point that out to management. Let’s practice the rule of “See Something / Say Something.”