SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – In a statement carried by the BUSINESS WIRE website, Alorica Dominican Republic closed it business process outsourcing (BPO) operations from March in response to the demands of COVID-19.

Alorica has come under scrutiny in Jamaica after it was announced yesterday (April 14) that at least 30 workers at the local operations had tested positive for COVID-19.

The Alorica Dominican Republic statment as carried by BUSINESS WIRE is published in full below. The statement is dated, Sunday, March 22, 2020.

In alignment with the government’s state of emergency and CNZFE’s order this afternoon to close BPO sites on Tuesday at 1:00 pm, we will be closing our physical operations tonight at 6:00 pm. This gives our teams a little more time to prepare as we do what is right for our employees, their families and the community in which we operate, and work collectively to stop the spread of COVID-19. Temporarily closing our sites until further notice is a preventative measure only—to date, no one in our organization has tested positive for the virus. We are aggressively continuing our efforts to transition our operations to a work-from-home model, as requested by local authorities.

As a people-to-people company, our No. 1 priority is to protect the health and safety of our entire Alorica family. While we navigate the fast-paced developments surrounding COVID-19, we ask our people to stay positive, remain calm and to take care of one another during this time of uncertainty. All employees are advised to remain home until further notice; immediate supervisors and Employee Experience personnel will be in frequent contact with our teams throughout this transition and will reach out with further instruction and information as this situation evolves. We’d also like to thank our clients for their understanding, support and commitment as we follow government guidelines and do what’s best for our employees and communities.

We will continue to work closely with the government, local health organizations and industry associations to ensure we act in the best interest of our team members, the community and our clients. To our Alorica family and the rest of the world, we know times are tough right now. But together we are tougher—and we will get through this. 

BUSINESS WIRE has also posted a statement regarding the closure of Alorica Portmore.

That statement posted on April 12, reads as follows:

Alorica Jamaica—Portmore Site Temporary Closure Public Announcement

April 12, 2020 07:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time

As a result of being notified of a positive COVID-19 case at our Portmore site over the weekend, we have been partnering closely with the Ministry of Health and following their recommendations to ensure the safety of our employees and the community. Alorica immediately closed down its Portmore site, starting Friday afternoon, April 10. Learning of a second positive COVID-19 case, effective today, we have decided—in alignment with the Ministry of Health’s guidance—to keep the site closed for 14 days to allow employees to self-quarantine and monitor their health. The Ministry of Health is also testing hundreds of our employees out of an abundance of caution. We know this is the right move for our people as we work together aggressively to stop the spread of the virus.

Our highest priority is the health and well-being of our employees. Based on the Ministry of Health’s guidelines, we are notifying employees who may have been in direct contact with these two individuals so that they can get tested. We are here for our Aloricans during this challenging time, and we ask for our employees’ cooperation as we continue to transition to a work-at-home model as quickly as we can. Our goal is to get our valued Portmore team members back to work as soon as it’s safe to do so. We would also like to show our appreciation to our clients who have been impacted by this closure for their support and understanding as we take necessary actions to protect our employees and the communities in which we live and serve.

We encourage everyone to stay safe and calm, as we care for one another through this time of uncertainty. While all our Portmore employees are advised to remain home, immediate supervisors and Employee Experience personnel will reach out to provide further instruction and information as this situation evolves.

We will continue to work closely with the government, health organizations and industry associations to ensure we act in the best interest of our people, the community and our clients.

To our Alorica family and the rest of the world, we know times are tough right now. But together we are tougher—and we will get through this.