HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The president of submarine builder Electric Boat, which has major production plants in Connecticut and Rhode Island, told employees on Saturday that he has tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Kevin Graney said in a statement that he got his test result Friday night, after developing a low-grade fever overnight Wednesday into Thursday. His office is at the Groton, Connecticut, headquarters, where he last worked Wednesday.
“My symptoms remain mild — some nasal congestion and a low grade fever,” the statement said. “I will be out of the plant until I am cleared by medical to return.”
Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics, produces nuclear submarines for the Navy, with key manufacturing operations in Groton and Quonset Point, Rhode Island. It employs around 17,000 people. Graney said his office and surrounding areas are being cleaned and people he had close contact with have been notified.
Graney said Friday that six workers at Electric Boat had tested positive for COVID-19. They include employees in Groton, Quonset Point and a facility in Charleston, South Carolina.
As of Friday, Connecticut reported that 4,915 state residents have tested positive for COVID-19, more than 900 have been hospitalized and 132 have died. Gov. Ned Lamont said an additional 1,091 residents tested positive since Thursday.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.
