Wells Fargo and Lowe’s announce immediate coronavirus travel restrictions for workers
Wells Fargo said it is restricting all non-essential air travel in the U.S. in reaction to the continued spread of the new strain of coronavirus that appeared late last year.
As of Thursday, the San Francisco-based bank with 27,000 Charlotte-area employees is requiring executive approval for any essential business air travel. The announcement follows an earlier restriction of international business travel, Wells Fargo said in a statement.
The bank said in a statement it is “doing what we can to help minimize potential spread of the disease.”
Wells Fargo isn’t alone in taking precautions against the virus — Mooresville-based Lowe’s is also restricting business travel.
The home improvement retailer has suspended travel to and from Asia, spokeswoman Jackie Hartzell told The Observer Thursday.
Lowe’s employs over 28,000 people in North Carolina. The company tapped Charlotte in June last year to host its 2,000-employee global tech hub, housed in a new 23-story tower in South End.
Charlotte-based Bank of America has some limits on international travel and will continue to update its plans as necessary, the company told The Observer Thursday.
1st NC case
North Carolina announced its first positive test for novel coronavirus earlier this week, in a Wake County person who had traveled to the state of Washington.
Mecklenburg County has seen no cases of coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, county Public Health Director Gibbie Harris told county commissioners Wednesday night.
Mecklenburg County launched a COVID-19 information line Wednesday night at 980-314-9400 for people who may have been exposed to the virus, medical providers or community members with questions, Harris said.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, cough and shortness of breath.
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Wells Fargo and Lowe’s announce immediate coronavirus travel restrictions for workers."
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