In a continued effort to be open and transparent about the impacts of COVID-19, Wake County is alerting employees that one of its contractors has tested positive for the virus. The person was supporting public health and clinical services in the Sunnybrook building and reported to work while symptomatic.
“Because there is community spread of the virus, it was just a matter of time before our staff was directly impacted,” said Wake County Human Services Director Regina Petteway. “Unfortunately, this situation is a good example of why people who have fever, cough and respiratory issues should not come to work, and instead, stay home and help slow the spread of COVID-19.”
Our public health team has tracked the person’s movements and determined that 16 people were exposed to the virus and have symptoms. They are all in the process of being tested for COVID-19, because they all work in the healthcare field.
With the county’s shift to a mitigation strategy, healthcare workers are one of the groups the county is reserving its tests and protective gear for when they become symptomatic, because they are on the frontlines of the coronavirus response.
Our public health team has also contacted and required employees who came in close contact with the affected person – but have not developed symptoms – to self-monitor at home for up to 14 days.
The county has contracted with a disinfecting service to clean the affected areas of the Sunnybrook building today. As part of that process, it will be closed until Monday, March 30, at noon.
Staying Updated
Wake County has made it easy for you to stay updated on the latest information about COVID-19.
You can visit our COVID-19 webpage, which has a set of frequently asked questions to educate residents in English and in Spanish, a list of COVID-19-related closures and service changes, as well as an email address and phone number that people can use to ask personal health-related questions about COVID-19.
The county is also sharing important information on its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
