The Toyota of Kirkland dealership, which closed late last week for deep cleaning and disinfecting after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, has reopened.
The suburban Seattle dealership closed Thursday following a sales-side employee notifying store management Tuesday evening that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
An employee answering the phone early Monday just after 7 a.m. local time, confirmed the dealership was open.
Toyota of Kirkland and O’Brien Auto Group management could not immediately be reached for comment.
Kirkland, a city of about 90,000, is in King County, Wash., where the majority of U.S. coronavirus deaths have been reported. The King County Health Department on Sunday reported 17 COVID-19 deaths in the county and 12 new cases of the virus, bringing its total cases to 83. Sixteen of the 17 deaths are tied to a nursing home in Kirkland, according to the health department.
The impact of the virus in the community has been felt by other dealerships and businesses.
Hamid Musazay, general manager of Ford-Hyundai-Genesis of Kirkland, located less than a mile from the Toyota store, said in an email Monday that his stores were open normal hours over the weekend. He said while “traffic was extremely light,” the stores managed to sell an average amount of vehicles per store thanks to phone and Internet leads and appointments.
Musazay last week told Automotive News that he is taking precautions such as a no-handshake policy and requiring extra cleaning throughout the day to surfaces such as phones and keyboards. Employees also have been told not to come to work if sick.
Musazay said he would shut down his campus and hire a company to conduct a deep cleaning if any employee tests positive for the virus.
While traffic is lighter and he’s had a few customers cancel service appointments, Musazay said he’s continuing to move forward with sales and service goals this month.
“It’s not dead,” he said. “It’s not a ghost town.”
Meanwhile, KAR Group’s ADESA Seattle location in Auburn, Wash., will begin simulcast-only sales beginning Tuesday. ADESA Seattle said online that the move is aimed at reducing the risks posed by the coronavirus.
ADESA Seattle otherwise remains open for regular business hours outside of scheduled sales, but during sales times, “no dealers will be allowed on the premises,” the company said.
ADESA is waiving online purchase fees at the Seattle-area auction, which will host all its sales on ADESA.com and the ADESA Marketplace app “until further notice.”
David Muller contributed to this report.
