CALIFORNIA—According to CDC Officials, Thursday, July 9, an official order to close LA Apparel’s Manufacturing located in South Los Angeles remains in effect. Four employees have died from coronavirus and 300 workers have been diagnosed with the disease.
LA Apparel is Owned by CEO Canadian businessman Dov Charney. Charney was dismissed from the role of Executive Chief of American Apparel in 2014 due to allegations that he misused funds and knowingly allowed sexual harassment. He founded Los Angeles Apparel in 2016 after being dismissed from an American Apparel clothing company.
The LA manufacturing building located on 59th Street was closed on June 27—after an inspection where LA county officials found more than 150 flagrant violations of mandatory public health infection control orders.
According to reports from public health officials during inspection, officials found several violations of social distancing, including cardboard being used as a blockade between employees. Charney also violated the original order to close LA Apparel when reopened his facility and hired new employees, which indicates the company failed to cooperate with the investigation and closure order.
For several months, LA Apparel Manufacture has been making cloth face masks and additional garments to protect the public against COVID-19.
According to Public Health information posted online, shutting down the manufacturer will affect three facilities, all of which are in the same area of South Los Angeles, located within a two-block radius of each plant.
All three facilities were found to have employees infected with COVID-19; 23 workers tested positive for the coronavirus in one plant, 61 employees in the second facility, and 67 employees in the third facility.
