US
Tobacco giant Altria announced recently that it was suspending production of cigarettes at its Richmond manufacturing facility after a second worker there tested positive for Covid-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.
The suspension will last for two weeks, though the company said it was not worried about having a sufficient supply of cigarettes to meet demand, as it reportedly has about two month’s worth of inventory based upon current shipment volume.
In addition to the two employees, Altria Chairman and c.e.o. Howard Willard was diagnosed with Covid-19 and took a temporary leave of absence. Chief financial officer William Gifford will assume Willard’s responsibilities while he is out.
Altria will continue paying its employees for the two-week period when production is suspended. It has also suspended some domestic operations related to cigar manufacturing, as it has experienced supply disruptions.
Altria shipped 23.1 billion units of cigarettes in the fourth quarter along with 413 million cigars. The Richmond facility is Philip Morris USA’s primary manufacturing facility for cigarettes and some other tobacco products.