In the epitome of fast fashion, over 1,000 workers have tested positive for Coronavirus within a factory in Sri Lanka, most of them being forced to work through the virus. The factory is owned by Brandix, an apparel manufacturer that makes garments for huge brands worldwide, including Gap, Calvin Klein, and Victoria’s Secret.

At the beginning of November, several women working at an apparel supply chain in Sri Lanka began to develop coughs and fevers, common symptoms of COVID-19, however almost none of the employees took it too seriously due to the fact that the island had very few cases, and colds were expected as the rainy season began rolling in. Staff with these symptoms visited the doctor at the company, the majority being sent back to the production line after being told that Brandix had several orders to complete.

Although Sri Lanka overall has few cases, the district of Gampaha, where the factory is located, accounts for over 7,000 cases, turning it into the center of the country’s largest coronavirus outbreak. Inside the factory, over 1,000 out of 1,400 employees tested positive for the virus earlier this week, launching the entire factory and company into the international arena amid concerns for the human rights and protection of these workers.

After the news was spread, Sri Lanka’s attorney general ordered an investigation into whether or not the outbreak could have been prevented by the company, claiming it “endangered human life.” A report with the results of the investigation should be made available by November 13th, aiming to answer whether or not there was “negligence on the part of Brandix resulting in the spread of the virus”, according to Nishara Jayaratne, the attorney general’s coordinating officer.

Brandix has also launched its own investigation into the outbreak, with finance chief Hasitha Premaratnhe saying that initial findings were that employees with a fever were either sent home or taken to a hospital, saying that the company would react accordingly if it was discovered that these initial findings were not the actual case.

On the other hand, trade union officials and internal staff who have spoken to several media outlets and NGOs, including the Thomson Reuters Foundation, have said that some of those who became ill were told to continue working in the same conditions and were not given proper protective health equipment, (PPE).

“Some even fainted, but the company doctors gave basic medicines. All these sick women worked again, though they had some difficulties. We never suspected it was corona because everybody was complacent and employees shared their meds and did not wear masks inside the plant.”

Factory employee who wishes to remain anonymous

The head of the local trade union group “Standup Movement”, Ashila Dandeniya, has said that workers inside Brandix factories alleged that temperature checks were neither mandatory or carried out consistently and that the company cared little for health conditions on the front line, doing far from what is necessary to better the situation. This contradicts Brandix’s public statement that there are “health and safety measures in place including screening of staff, social distancing, mask-wearing, and temperature checks.

Sri Lanka’s 21 million inhabitants were largely successful in containing the Coronavirus, going through a strict lockdown lasting from March to May and closing its borders to incomers. The country’s largest exporter is the garment industry, constituting approximately 7% of the economy; the industry was allowed to pick operations back up in April before the nationwide lockdown had ended.

According to trade union officials, around 50,000 people were working in an export processing zone close to the Brandix factory with the outbreak, mostly cleaning and security staff employed by local agencies. This area has since been placed under quarantine in order to further limit the outbreak from spreading. Garment workers say that they are being treated as scapegoats and feel the recent measure as a form of punishment.

Workers and activists have gone to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to formally lodge a complaint against troops, reciting incidents where some workers were forcibly taken to government-run quarantine centers, allegations that authorities and officials have been quick to deny. Army Commander Shavendra Silva, head of national operations center for COVID-19 precaution, has said that the country is using troops to carry out “preventive evacuations.”

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