Woodward Inc. reopened its central Fort Collins campus Thursday morning, less than 48 hours after it closed the Drake Road facility following a worker's positive coronavirus test.

Some employees are now questioning whether one of the city's largest employers is doing enough to keep its people and community safe.

Woodward, with 1,250 employees in Larimer County, sent workers home from the Drake campus Tuesday so the facilities could be professionally cleaned. Company leaders said they expected the campus to be closed for a day or two.

On Wednesday night, workers said they were notified to come back to work Thursday morning. Those who worked in the same area with the ill person were told to remain at home, a Woodward spokeswoman said Tuesday.

That didn't quell concerns from others who worried they may have been exposed as well.

Employees in the same section as the employee who tested positive for the virus were back to work Thursday, one worker said. "The few people in that section who were told to stay home were told to be back at work tomorrow."

Woodward told workers that different shifts would be separated by 30 minutes to limit contact with others, the worker said, but on Thursday some employees and managers were disregarding that rule, he said.

Coronavirus in Larimer County: What we know about confirmed cases, community spread

Woodward did not return the Coloradoan's emails requesting comment. On Tuesday, after the worker tested positive, spokeswoman Julie James said Woodward was following guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure workers' health.

Workers confirmed the company has posted signs about proper hand washing, staying home if ill and is providing face masks and gloves for employees who want them.

"Eighteen hours to clean the place and then it's business as usual? I think it's irresponsible," one worker said. "Maybe if you're young and healthy, but for people who are older or more at risk, maybe (Woodward) could say something about 'make your own decision' or give some kind of direction other than to just report for work."

Another worker said he would have felt safer had the campus remained closed for a few more days.

Meanwhile, at Woodward's Lincoln Avenue campus, two workers went home Wednesday with high fevers and coronavirus-like, or flu-like, symptoms, another employee said. The plant remained open.

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The Coloradoan was contacted by four employees separately. We have granted their requests for anonymity in order to protect their jobs.

A machinist at the Lincoln campus said it was business as usual and everyone was expected to report to work on Thursday and for mandatory overtime on Saturday. That worker was worried about employees in high-risk groups, including those older than 60 or those with underlying health conditions who are in danger of becoming critically ill if they contract coronavirus.

Some Woodward departments operate three shifts in wide-open spaces and with several people handling the same parts as they go through the manufacturing process. They eat in the same cafeteria and use the same common areas. "There is a lot of opportunity for cross-exposure," one employee said.

"I would think a company of that size would be more concerned and proactive about taking care of their employees in the midst of this crisis," said an employee's spouse. "Woodward has had a reputation of being 'family' in the past; it's disappointing it doesn't appear to be the case now."

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged companies to clean surfaces thoroughly and often, provide tissues and hand sanitizer, encourage sick employees to stay home, wash hands frequently and provide flexible sick leave for those who may have to stay home to take care of a sick family member.

Some manufacturers, including the nation's "big three" automakers, are shutting down manufacturing for several weeks out of an abundance of caution and after a demand from the powerful United Auto Workers union.

Woodward's employees who contacted the Coloradoan are asking for more specific guidance from the company about who should stay home and when, especially since the virus has come into their workplace.

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The Drake worker said he appreciated being sent home, being paid while the facility was cleaned and that the company was not penalizing people who needed to stay home to care for loved ones. But he believed Woodward should be providing more guidance.

"My concern was that they were saying people who were exposed to the person that was positive should stay home but said everyone else doesn't need to worry," one said.

"There are people who are carrying it who haven't shown symptoms and people who were directly exposed and they are walking around, talking to people outside their group, using the same restrooms, cafeteria and vending machines."

Supervisors on Thursday talked with workers at the Drake campus about creating a 6-foot separation between themselves and co-workers and have stocked gloves and face masks for employees. "My concern is this is just the beginning of the crisis," one worker said.

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Pat Ferrier is a senior reporter covering business, health care and growth issues in Northern Colorado. Contact her at patferrier@coloradoan.com. Please support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a subscription today.