MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — DENSO officials confirmed to WATE 6 On Your Side that two employees at its Maryville plant had tested positive for COVID-19.

Neither employee had been at the facility since July 2. The plant has had seven confirmed COVID-19 cases since March.

DENSO released the following statement Wednesday night:

“On July 8, we were notified two employees who work at DENSO’s Maryville, Tennessee, facility tested positive for COVID-19. There is no evidence the cases are related as the employees work in separate buildings. Each employee was last on campus on July 2.

We consulted with our medical professionals and ensured proper notifications have taken place. As per CDC guidelines and DENSO’s stringent and aggressive safety protocols, areas where the employees worked have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected by a third-party cleaning company. Out of abundance of caution, DENSO has asked one person to quarantine who may have potentially had close contact with this individual. 

At DENSO, safety is a core value and we take it very seriously. When the pandemic first began, the company quickly enhanced its safety protocols by requiring face coverings, conducting thermal and health screenings, enhancing sanitization efforts throughout campus and practicing social distancing whenever possible.

We can confirm of the 5000+ employees and third-party staffing individuals at our Maryville facility we have had 7 confirmed cases since March. Evidence indicates this was due to community spread outside the workplace.As the risk in our community continues to grow, we encourage all employees to please be vigilant with safety practices both inside and outside of work.

We’re counting on our team to stay healthy, help maintain business continuity and keep our economy moving.We wish our team members a speedy recovery and ask that every stay safe.”

Andrew Rickerman
Senior Regional Public Relations Specialist
DENSO International America, Inc.