Two additional City of Hattiesburg employees have tested positive for COVID-19, including an employee with the Hattiesburg Fire Department and an employee with the Hattiesburg Police Department.
According to an email obtained by The PineBelt NEWS that was sent to city employees shortly after noon Thursday, April 30, from Samantha McCain, the city's chief communications officer, the city’s administrative team learned of the positive cases Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.
The email said that, on April 16, “three (fire department) employees came into contact with a COVID-positive individual.” The employees were sent home directly after contact to await a timeline for testing and results. All three employees were tested, with two of the tests coming back negative and one coming back as inconclusive.
The sick fire department employee was tested two more times – on April 24 and April 27 – with the April 24 test coming back as inconclusive and the April 27 test coming back as positive.
“This employee will remain in quarantine for another 14 days – which will end on May 11,” said the email. “This employee has shown no signs of symptoms since April 16.”
The police department employee tested positive for COVID-19 on April 28 and is now on leave, according to the email.
“Administrators for the police department have traced this employee’s contact to only two additional employees,” said the email. “They are being tested and are at home waiting results. All in the employee’s division have been notified of the presumptive positive test.”
The email added that “in an abundance of caution, we are scheduling a COVID-19 test for each employee in that division.”
The email urges any city employee who feels ill to contact their immediate supervisor.
According to the City of Hattiesburg website, there are six confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the City of Hattiesburg workforce. It was reported on April 7 that Kévin Jordan, the city’s housing coordinator in urban development, died from complications of the virus. On April 9, the city reported that an additional employee in urban development, along with an employee in the police department, were sick with the virus.
As of Wednesday evening, there are 207 positive COVID-19 cases in Forrest County with 12 deaths. In terms of total cases, Forrest County ranks seventh in the state.
This is a developing story; check back for latest information as it is received.
