Gap Closes NYC Office After Employee Contracts Coronavirus

(Bloomberg) -- Preppy apparel retailer Gap Inc. has closed its New York City offices after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus.

The person is not in the office, at 55 Thomas Street in Lower Manhattan, and is recovering at home, according to a memo sent to Gap workers at the location.

“We are taking extreme precaution and have decided to close the 55 Thomas building and employees should work from home until further notice,” the company said in the email to its workers. The company’s corporate headquarters are located in San Francisco.

The viral outbreak, which originated in China, is increasingly disrupting daily life in major U.S. cities such as Seattle and New York as the number of cases rise. Companies are grappling with work-from-home policies in a bid to protect their employees and prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Gap shares rose less than 1% to $13.41 at 10:47 a.m. in New York. The company announced yesterday that Sonia Syngal, head of its discount Old Navy chain, will take over as chief executive officer of the full company.

At the building, no workers could be seen entering or exiting. Security personnel declined to comment on the situation.

--With assistance from Jordyn Holman.

To contact the reporters on this story: Jonathan Roeder in Chicago at jroeder@bloomberg.net;Scott Soshnick in New York at ssoshnick@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anne Cronin at acronin14@bloomberg.net

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