A seventh City of Hattiesburg employee has tested positive for COVID-19.
The employee works in the grounds and maintenance division of parks and recreation, according to Samantha McCain, the city’s chief communications officer. McCain said the employee has not been at work since April 28 and that division supervisors traced the direct exposure of the employee to two additional employees.
“These employees have been tested and are at home in self-isolation awaiting test results,” said McCain in an email. “All in the employee’s division have been notified of the presumptive positive test. In an abundance of caution, a COVID-19 test for each employee in that division has been scheduled.”
The city announced last Thursday that an employee in the fire department and an employee in the police department had tested positive. The fire department employee was exposed to the virus on April 16 along with two other employees.
The employees were sent home directly after contact to await a timeline for testing and results. According to McCain, all three employees were tested, with two of the tests coming back negative and one coming back as inconclusive.
She said 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 McCain on April 30. “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 McCain. “They are being tested and are at home waiting results. All in the employee’s division have been notified of the presumptive positive test.”
She added that “in an abundance of caution, we are scheduling a COVID-19 test for each employee in that division.”
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.
