Unilever Closes West Java Factory on Discovery of Covid-19 Cluster

BEKASI, KOMPAS.com – Unilever closed its factory in West Java following the discovery of a Covid-19 cluster at the Cikarang plant on Monday, June 29.

Unilever Governance and Corporate Affairs Director Sancoyo Antarikso confirmed the finding of the cluster at a factory for tea-based beverages in the Bekasi Regency’s Cikarang region.

Also read: The Covid-19 Crisis and Its Domino Effect on Indonesia

“We found the cluster during a mass PCR test of the factory’s 265 employees and their families,” said Sancoyo in a written statement to Kompas.com on Friday, July 3. “Twenty-one employees were found positive in the test. They also transmitted [Covid-19] to 15 of their family members.”

Sancoyo added that the employees have been placed in self-quarantine at home. Unilever reported its findings to the Bekasi Regency Health Service, he added.

Carrying out countermeasures

Sancoyo said that the British-Dutch multinational closed the factory as a precautionary measure.

“The closure is part of [Unilever’s] safety protocols for Covid-19,” he said. “It is standard procedure for our installations in 180 countries around the world.”

Sancoyo added that the company also mitigated Covid-19 transmission by dividing the factory into zones. “The Cikarang factory has tight protocols dividing the work zones and production area zones.” 

“Employees can only work in their designated zones, and cannot cross from one to another.”

Sancoyo asserted that Unilever has additional health protocols to break the coronavirus chain of transmission. “The measures include prohibiting their employees from traveling and making office workers work from home." 

Also read: Local Covid-19 Vaccine for Mass Production in Indonesia

“The company doctors are also on standby to aid and observe the health of our employees and their dependents.”

To date, the Bekasi Regency reported 284 Covid-19 cases. Twenty of the patients died from the coronavirus, while 224 have recovered. Twenty-two of the cases are treated in hospitals, while 18 have been self-isolating at home.

Unilever Indonesia manufactures consumer products ranging from Dove soap, Rexona deodorant, to Magnum ice cream.

(Writer: Cynthia Lova | Editor : Sandro Gatra)

Sources: 

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2020/07/03/16531411/klarifikasi-21-karyawan-unilever-dan-15-anggota-keluarga-positif-covid-19?page=all#page2.