FORT WORTH (1080 KRLD) - A longtime Lockheed Martin employee in Fort Worth who was exposed to COVID-19 has died.
Claude Daniels, who had worked for Lockheed Martin for 42 years, passed away on Saturday.
"Our hearts are heavy with a loss of Claude Daniels," says Lockheed Martin spokesman Ken Ross. "He was a devoted colleague, and our thoughts are with those who knew and loved him."
Daniels became exposed to COVID-19 last month.
"He had not been to work since the 31st of March when he told his supervisor that he had been exposed to somebody who was positive for COVID-19," says Ross. "The exposure that he mentioned is someone who is not a Lockheed Martin employee and not in (the) facility."
While Ross has acknowledged that Daniels was exposed to the highly contagious virus, that has not yet been confirmed as his cause of death.
"Certainly, we're saddened to learn of his passing, but we do not have any confirmation or details from his family or medical authorities regarding the cause of his death," Ross says.
Daniels' death comes as an online petition is circulating demanding that Lockheed Martin temporarily close its Fort Worth plant due to the outbreak.
Ross says the company takes worker safety very seriously.
"It's our top priority to make sure we provide a healthy and safe environment for our employees," says Ross; "and the steps we're taking are all consistent with CDC guidelines, as well as local orders."