Factory workers we interviewed tell WHAS11 News they believe every building should be closed, because their lives are more important than appliances.

GE Appliance Park has shut down one of its buildings due to a possible but unconfirmed case of COVID-19. Factory workers we interviewed tell WHAS11 News they think every building should be closed, because their lives are more important than appliances.

“My throat it really hurts," said Josh Griffin, a factory worker in one of GE Appliance Park's five manufacturing buildings. He said he’s caught something.

“My last day of work was yesterday," he said.

When we checked in with him eight hours later, he couldn’t get up from bed. “It’s hard to eat, it’s really hard to eat and swallow," he told us.

He's planning to go back to his doctor, because he said she’s showing the signs of COVID-19.

He, and dozens of other factory workers have told Focus investigative reporter Paula Vasan their employer isn’t taking coronavirus seriously.

“My anxiety is like up here it’s through the roof," said Veronica Clephas. She works in the same building where, on Tuesday, an employee showed possible symptoms of COVID-19, and was quarantined.

GE Appliances, a unit of China-based Haier, shut down Building 3, beginning Tuesday, for 48 hours to disinfect. The other four buildings are still open. Clephas said she’s worried about heading back to work on Friday. She said she fears calling her managers to take time off.

"You call in too many times you can lose your job," Clephas said.

A spokesperson with GE Appliances said they’ve taken precautions to make sure employees are safe. But factory workers said conditions are still dirty, and shower curtains aren’t good enough as barriers.

“They also offered these little masks,” Clephas said, showing us a mask she received. She said it would be better served elsewhere.

“There are hospitals who need these more than we who manufacture appliances," she said.

A spokesperson with GE Appliances said they’re enforcing social distancing and have a more rigorous cleaning schedule. Yet factory workers counter that it’s no match for a virus that’s highly contagious.

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