Apple, Hulu employees in Southern California test positive for coronavirus

As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus continues to rise, Apple and streaming service Hulu are grappling with employees who have tested positive.

Apple said on Monday that an employee at its Culver City office has the novel coronavirus and remains in self-isolation at home. The employee had no symptoms when last in the office, the company said.

“We recognize this is a challenging time for our global community and our thoughts remain with those around the world personally affected by COVID-19 and the heroic medical professionals and researchers fighting it,� Apple said in a statement.

Hulu said it also had an employee at its Santa Monica office who tested positive for COVID-19. The employee went home for self-quarantine as soon as symptoms began, according to a company spokeswoman.

The individual worked at building 2500 in Santa Monica and the floors that Hulu occupies have been temporarily closed for deep cleaning.

Employees who had contact with the person with COVID-19 have been notified and will work from home, the spokeswoman added. Other staff have been urged to do the same.

An Apple representative declined to say whether the Culver City office is closed. On Friday, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said in a statement that Apple is moving to flexible work arrangements at its offices outside of greater China.

“That means team members should work remotely if their job allows, and those whose work requires them to be on site should follow guidance to maximize interpersonal space,� Cook said.

Cook attended a birthday party for Universal Music Group’s chairman and chief executive Lucian Grainge last month before the music executive tested positive for novel coronavirus, according to Variety. Spokesmen for Apple and UMG declined to comment.

Last week, Netflix closed one of its L.A. buildings after an employee was suspected of having the novel coronavirus.