NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — One of Rhode Island’s largest employers is continuing to operate normally amid increasingly urgent warnings from government officials that as many people as possible should remain at home to stem the spread of coronavirus.

General Dynamics Corp.’s Electric Boat division “remains open for business” at its huge submarine manufacturing facility at the Quonset Business Park, spokesperson Elizabeth Power told WPRI 12 on Tuesday.

The company had about 4,100 workers in Rhode Island as of last December.

“Our ongoing mission is to provide our Navy with the high-quality submarines they require to complete their missions,” Power said. “We have initiated all government-recommended measures to mitigate spread of the disease and continue to work closely with our employees, customers, suppliers, stakeholders and our community to keep them informed.”

Last December, the Navy awarded Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. a massive $22.2 billion contract to build nine new submarines, with a significant portion of the work to be done at Quonset.

Ted Nesi (tnesi@wpri.com) is WPRI 12’s politics and business editor and a Target 12 investigative reporter. He is a weekly panelist on Newsmakers and hosts Executive Suite. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook

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