RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Philip Morris USA plans a limited restart of production at its South Richmond plant next week, 10 days after it shut down the factory because of the coronavirus outbreak, officials said Monday.
The nearly 2 million square-foot (186,000 square meters) factory normally runs three shifts a day, five days a week. While aiming to run that same number of shifts upon reopening, there will be fewer workers on site and with screening in place to prevent anyone with coronavirus from entering the property, executives told the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
“The safety and health of our people is paramount, so that is why we are doing this in a very measured, methodical and disciplined way,” said Sheila Freeman, vice president of manufacturing for Philip Morris USA.
The company, a subsidiary of Altria Group Inc., announced on March 19 that it was suspending operations for two weeks after two employees tested positive for COVID-19. The next day, the company announced that chairman and chief executive officer Howard A. Willard III had been diagnosed with the virus and was temporarily stepping aside.
Willard is “at home recovering,” Altria spokesman Steve Callahan said.
Altria has about 3,300 employees in the Richmond area.
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