Coronavirus Groton: Electric Boat President Tests Positive

GROTON, CT — Electric Boat President Kevin Graney announced that he has tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Graney last worked in his office Wednesday and started to feel symptoms Wednesday into Thursday.

"I will be out of the plant until I am cleared by medical to return. In line with our protocol and public [health] guidance, employees who were near me and had close contact have been notified, and are monitoring their own health. My office and surrounding areas are being cleaned this weekend," he said in a statement.

Graney will continue to work from home and described his symptoms as mild, including some nasal congestion and a low-grade fever. Stay up to date on closures and precautions; sign up for Patch emails.

"Please stay focused on your own personal health," Graney said in a statement to employees. "Each of us knows when we’re not quite feeling right. In my case, the indicators were subtle, but enough to cause me to pay attention."

Electric Boat employs about 14,000 workers between its Groton and Rhode Island operations. The company is the primary submarine manufacturer for the U.S. Navy.

There have been four employees at the Groton shipyard who have tested positive for coronavirus.

Several EB employees have reached out to The Day and complained about poor communication and a slow rollout to let employees who can work from home.

A company spokesman told Patch that the company is working on enforcing social distancing and other policies to limit the potential spread of the virus.

Additional reporting by Ellyn Santiago, Patch Staff