As Washington is on lockdown due to COVID-19, Boeing has made the decision to halt all productions as of March 25. This comes after one of the companies employees tested positive for COVID-19. "This necessary step protects our employees and the communities where they work and live. We regret the difficulty this will cause them, as well as our employees, but it's vital to maintain health and safety for all those who support our products and services, and to assist in the national effort to combat the spread of COVID-19," said Boeing's CEO Dave Calhoun. "29 other employees have also confirmed that they have contracted the disease. Boeing said that its employees will still get paid and if they can, encouraging them to work from home."

During the planned 14-day suspension, all facilities said they will do a deep-cleaning. The manufacturer is also planning to create strong criteria for its workers so they can return to production. Both of these actions are designed to limit the spread of COVID-19. "These actions are being taken to ensure the well-being of employees, their families and the local community, and will include an orderly shutdown consistent with the requirements of its customers," Boeing said in a statement. 

Due to the closure, it is likely that many aircraft may be delayed coming out of the factory. For some airlines, they are preferably delaying aircraft delivery due to the slump in passenger demand that many have been experiencing over the past couple months. Boeing has also been working to try to get the 737 MAX approved to fly again, which was grounded after two crashes that killed a total of 346 people. The company has also had a financial hit in this process which makes it in a not very good position to deal with these situations.

Do you think Boeing made the right decision to stop production at its facilities? Let us know in the comments below!

https://simpleflying.com/boeing-to-halt-seattle-production-following-employee-virus-death/

https://thepointsguy.com/news/boeing-washington-assembly-lines/

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-boeing-coronavirus-cuts-20200316-vyecjtweiffwvg5d7ny3upilqu-story.html