LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – The Louisville Metro Department of Health & Wellness on March 25 ordered UPS to immediately “ensure all employees engage in appropriate social distancing” by staying six feet apart at the company’s Worldport global air hub at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, according to records released Tuesday by Mayor Greg Fischer’s office.
The order came 10 days before a supervisor at the UPS hub died, apparently from symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
In the one-page order, the health department said UPS must comply “ASAP.” The order doesn’t detail the circumstances that gave rise to it.
Louisville Metro health department order, March 25, 2020.
In a statement, UPS played down the significance of the health department order.
"This was a minor situation involving a health inspector who visited our employee entrance on March 25, noticed that employees were not distancing themselves properly, and gave this paper to our Security managers who were there to meet him. The inspector asked if we had hand sanitizer at our entrance, which we did. He thanked us and left. He returned a few days later and saw no issues," UPS spokesman Jim Mayer said in an email.
Several employees have told WDRB in recent days about parking lot shuttles that are still crowded although UPS has added shuttle vans; about crowded rides in vans that are necessary to move between work loading and unloading airplanes; and about truck trailers that multiple people have to enter to load and unload packages.
"We have been educating our employees on social distancing at our employee entrances and shuttles for weeks, and we continue to do so. However, social distancing is a shared responsibility," Mayer said. "We ask that our workers use good judgment to avoid grouping as they come and go. To further assist with social distancing at our employee entrances, we have staffed them with Security employees, and we have added signage and ground markings to keep employees properly distanced."
While the majority of Worldport jobs allow for social distancing, Mayer allowed, that, "For a few roles, that’s not always feasible. We ask those employees to distance when they can, ensure they’re healthy when they report to work, wash their hands frequently, and now, wear facemasks. In addition, we have enhanced cleaning of facilities and equipment to help minimize risk."
Fischer’s office shared the order on Tuesday after WDRB inquired about whether local health authorities have examined conditions at UPS’ hub, where thousands of people work to sort and load packages on trucks and airplanes, for precautions against the spread of the virus.
UPS on Monday confirmed the death of a Worldport supervisor who is widely suspected of having contracted COVID-19, although there has been no official confirmation of his diagnosis, let alone where he may have contracted the disease.
The Atlanta-based company, in contrast with other large local employers like Ford, Amazon and GE Appliances, isn’t saying whether its workers have contracted the virus, citing “medical privacy laws.”
The Clark County, Ind. Health Department confirmed to WDRB on Tuesday that it has notified UPS that one of its workers -- a Clark County resident -- died April 4 with the cause of death as COVID-19.
Clark County does not release names, but the health department's description -- a 55-year-old man with no underlying health conditions who was hospitalized at Norton Hospital in Louisville -- matches details provided to WDRB by an extended family member of the worker.
Meanwhile, the Louisville Metro Health Department has no knowledge of a UPS worker death related to COVID-19, but the Metro health department would only be involved in cases of Jefferson County residents, Fischer spokeswoman Jean Porter said.
Porter said the Louisville health department was prompted to examine UPS last month through complaints on the city’s public 311 phone line.
“The health department has been to Worldport and has been in conversation with UPS about the steps necessary to ensure the safety of their workers, including sanitization and social distancing guidance,” Porter said in an email.
Has the health department followed up on its March 25 order?
On Fischer's daily virtual press conference, the mayor referred that question to Dr. Lori Caloia, medical director of the health department, who largely repeated the language Porter had already given WDRB about the health department being "in conversation with UPS about necessary steps."
Caloia also reiterated that the health department had issued an order, without saying what had transpired since then. She divulged one piece of new information: that the city had received 67 complaints about UPS, presumably from employees.
She also reiterated that UPS has not confirmed a coronavirus death to the Louisville health department.
Fischer did not comment directly on the potential coronavirus death at UPS, but said: "We’re in regular contact with UPS, making sure their health practices are obviously what they are. They’re an essential company in terms of moving commerce around the world right now so they are trying to balance all of their needs as well."
