Amber Neely
Universal Music's CEO, Lucian Grainge, has tested positive for the Coronavirus — meaning that Tim Cook and Eddy Cue may have been exposed after attending his 60th birthday party.
Tim Cook and Eddy Cue had attended the CEO's party 16 days ago. Symptoms of COVID-19 can appear anywhere from 14 to 21 days after exposure to the virus. Currently, it is not known if either Cook or Cue have been tested for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
The party in question was held at La Quinta's Madison Club, which has been shut down in response to the illness, including the clubhouse and golf course.
UMG Santa Monica has also been closed down in response after learning that Grainge tested positive for COVID-19. All staffers had been ordered to leave the building as soon as possible and in an orderly manner. According to a source close to the matter, many of the staff had already begun working from home before the announcement.
An internal memo obtained by Variety confirms the closure.
"Previously, we have committed that if there were to be a confirmed case of coronavirus infection in any of our offices, we would immediately close that location," reads the memo. "We have just been informed that there is a confirmed case of infection in an employee based in our 2220 Colorado Avenue offices. Accordingly and out of an abundance of caution, we are immediately closing all of our Santa Monica offices, and all Santa Monica staff are required to work from home until further notice."
Grainge is currently receiving treatment at Los Angeles' UCLA Medical Center, according to sources close to the matter.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
14 Comments
Maybe I'm just anti-social
But, I have this non-PC practice. When I feel sick (ie. hung-over, nauseous, diarrhea, runny nose, headaches, fever or just am not feeling up to my normal level of performance); I DO NOT go to work. I DO NOT go to parties. I DO NOT associate with other people, and this means I DO NOT even go to Church.
No, I stay home, rest and isolate myself (except for my poor wife, who is very supportive), and do my best to recover.
I do this quite intentionally - so as to NOT expose other people to whatever I have. When I am sick, I do not feel social. Judging from the way people are behaving, I must be a selfish person; because we see idiots who are confirmed with this virus, who intentionally fly on commercial airlines, who go to conventions, and even go to work.
What is wrong with these people?
Can we please stop feeding the panic by posting news stories about how someone we don’t personally know might possibly have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19?
Our obsession and fear has so far caused more problems than the virus itself.
It might be a safe assumption anyone working in the Apple headquarters could be a carrier. Apple should do the responsible thing and shut down most of the main building, just as they’re doing with the stores. The entire world is coming to a full stop over this thing.