After the first SpaceX coronavirus cases were reported in March, six more employees at Elon Musk's rocket company have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Monday, according to a CNBC report citing an internal company memo.
One of the employees recently confirmed to be infected with coronavirus has self-isolated, according to the report. In March, at least 12 SpaceX employees were reportedly quarantined after after one worker and a medic at the company's Southern California facility tested positive for coronavirus.
Although SpaceX has reduced the number of employees working onsite at its factories, the Department of Defense considers the work of SpaceX, along with others in the space industry, to be "mission essential." As such, the company is able to stay open and run operations despite enforced statewide shelter-in-place orders.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has come under heavy criticism for continuing operations at his SpaceX and Tesla factories during a statewide order in California requiring residents to stay at home (except for for essential activities) to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.
With cases first reported in December 2019, the coronavirus has rapidly upended life around the world as we know it, infecting roughly 1.2 million people globally and claiming more than 10,000 lives in the United States.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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