Hi everyone, it’s Kevin. Today is Wednesday, April 29. (Click here for podcast.)
Since last Friday, we have had one additional positive case of COVID-19. The individual works in Groton Operations, Dept. 200, in Bldg. 56 and was last at work on April 28. Of the 36 confirmed cases at Electric Boat, 24 employees have now returned to work.
Because this is the first case we’ve gotten in the last five days, we know the actions we’re taking are helping to flatten the curve. Similarly, the statistics in our communities are also trending in a hopeful direction. Earlier this week, due to a lowering number of new cases of COVID-19, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo said she is hoping to lift her state’s stay-at-home order on May 9. Similarly, with COVID-19 hospitalizations falling for about a week now in Connecticut, Governor Ned Lamont is cautiously optimistic about planning how the state will start to slowly ease restrictions in the coming weeks.
I will continue to stay in touch with both governors to ensure we are aware of and prepared for the impact of any changes in both states’ executive orders on our business. As that information becomes available, I will share it with you.
For now, our course remains steadily focused on the new standards of personal protection we’ve adopted since the pandemic began. We’re also exploring some new tools that may prove valuable in helping us maintain a safe environment.
For example, employees entering the Groton South Gate yesterday morning were invited to volunteer for a thermal imaging scan designed to gauge body temperature. This technology, made by a company called FLIR, takes an infrared image of your face and uses your tear ducts to determine if you have a higher-than-normal temperature. I participated and the process took a few seconds. The equipment is accurate, and we were able to process two people roughly every five seconds. Our colleagues at GD’s Land Systems in Ohio are also exploring this technology, and we are comparing notes. While these types of sophisticated technologies are promising, temperature scans will not help if people are asymptomatic. That’s why we need to continue to stay disciplined on the basics to protect ourselves, our team mates and our families:
• Maintain a safe distance of 6-feet or more from your colleagues
• Wear a face covering while at work
• Wash your hands with soap and water and use hand sanitizer
• And most importantly, stay home if you are sick.
Please stay healthy and safe and thanks for listening. We’ll communicate again with you by the end of the week.
Kevin
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