Social media giant Facebook has closed its three London offices from Friday afternoon through Monday for deep cleaning, after a visiting Singapore-based employee tested positive for coronavirus, Variety has confirmed.
“An employee based in our Singapore office who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 visited our London offices 24-26 February 2020. We are therefore closing our London offices until Monday for deep cleaning and employees are working from home until then,” said the company in a statement.
Variety understands the employee was last in one of Facebook’s London offices on Feb. 26, though it is still unclear which office was impacted.
Individuals who had direct contact with the employee have been asked to self-isolate and be vigilant in monitoring any symptoms. The firm is also believed to be reaching out to staff and contingent workers in other offices who visited London over the last few days.
The number of U.K.-based coronavirus cases jumped from 115 to 163 on Friday, the Department of Health confirmed. The increase by 48 cases in a single day is the highest so far in the U.K. The country’s first virus-related death was recorded on Thursday when a woman in her 70s with other health issues died in a Reading hospital.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Variety