The New Balance factories in Norridgewock, above, and Lawrence, Massachusetts, manufactured protective face masks for emergency and health care workers. Now only the Lawrence plant does. After a worker began showing symptoms of COVID-19 this week, the Skowhegan and Norridgewock plants were closed for cleaning. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel file Buy this Photo
SKOWHEGAN — Both New Balance factories were closed Wednesday while an employee awaits testing results for COVID-19.
New Balance face mask Submitted photo
Kurt Hopfenspirger, a spokesperson for the company, said in an email on Wednesday that the company was notified of an associate who had demonstrated possible COVID-19 symptoms, and, as a precautionary measure, factories in Skowhegan and Norridgewock were closed.
Out of an abundance of caution, he added, the Norway factory will also be closed on Thursday. All facilities will be properly cleaned as a hedge against the virus and will reopen after the holiday weekend.
“We will continue to follow our comprehensive health and safety guidelines and plan to reopen all factories after the holiday weekend,” he said.
Both Skowhegan and Norridgewock factories were producing face masks, but Hopfenspirger said that they have now returned to normal production of New Balance products. All masks are now being produced exclusively at the company’s Lawrence, Massachusetts, factory.
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