METRO AG: confirmed coronavirus case at Düsseldorf campus

An employee of METRO's parent company, METRO AG, at the Düsseldorf location (Schlüterstraße) has tested positive for the coronavirus. The public health department of the city of Düsseldorf is already actively involved in the case. All recent direct working contacts of the infected employee were informed immediately and are now working from home. Should any of them experience symptoms, they will seek medical advice. The building storey on which the infected employee worked is being disinfected. The METRO AG crisis management team is in close communication with the state health authorities in Düsseldorf.

• METRO Germany and Real (Emmas Enkel) stores not affected, they remain open
• More than 2,000 employees at the central offices on campus work from home for 14 days

As a preventive measure, before the current case of infection became known, METRO AG last Friday (13 March) had called upon all employees at the Campus to work from home in the coming week and, as far as possible, not to go to the central offices. This flex-work provision has now been extended to 14 days. It applies to the companies METRO AG, METRONOM, METRO ADVERTISING, METRO Insurance Broker and Hospitality Digital, as well as to some employees of METRO PROPERTIES, METRO LOGISTICSand METRO Campus Services. The arrangement affects more than 2,000 employees.

This case does not affect the central offices or stores of METRO Germany or Real. Both companies have initiated their own preventive and protective measures. The Emmas Enkel supermarket at Bridge 1 and the METRO wholesale store (Walter-Eucken-Straße) at the Düsseldorf Campus will remain open to ensure access to important foods and goods in Düsseldorf as well. The employees of the stores have been instructed to take all necessary hygienic measures to protect themselves and their customers.

The core functions of METRO AGfor wholesale operations in 34 countries are guaranteed, as the majority of Campus employees are equipped with mobile terminal devices and can be digitally interconnected.

In the last few weeks, measures have already been enacted to reduce the risk of infection to employees and customers. These include drastic travel restrictions and provisions for returnees from risk areas to work from home. In addition, hygienic and disinfection measures in the head offices and in the stores have been significantly intensified in accordance with the recommendations of the WHO and the Robert Koch Institute.

The METRO AG crisis management team, which consists of colleagues from Corporate Security, Human Resources, Quality Assurance and Corporate Communications, is in close communication with the competent authorities. The preventive measures being taken are constantly being reviewed and adjusted as necessary.

METRO is a leading international wholesale company with food and non-food assortments that specialises on serving the needs of hotels, restaurants and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent traders. Around the world, METRO has some 16 million customers who can choose whether to shop in one of the large-format stores, order online and collect their purchases at the store or have them delivered. METRO in addition also supports the competitiveness of entrepreneurs and own businesses with digital solutions and thereby contributes to cultural diversity in retail and hospitality. Sustainability is a key pillar of METRO's business. METRO has been the European sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. The company operates in 34 countries and employs more than 100,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2018/19, METRO generated sales of €27.1 billion. In October 2019, METRO AG signed an agreement to sell a majority stake in METRO China. In September 2018 METRO initiated the divestment process for the food retail chain Real with its 34,000 employees.