A staff member for the city of Durango has tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first known case involving a local government employee.
The staff member, whose identity was not released Tuesday because of privacy laws, reported symptoms of the illness almost two weeks ago. City officials treated it as an assumed positive. They gave others who made contact with the person instructions to go into self-isolation.
No other staff members of that group reported positive results as of Tuesday afternoon.
“We know how contagious it is, and so we are erring on the side of caution,” said Amber Blake, interim city manager. “I think this specific incident shows us that was the right choice.”
The employee reported the positive test results to the Human Resources Department late Monday, Blake said. She learned about the results Tuesday afternoon.
The city encourages employees to report positive test results for the virus. Reporting is not mandatory while city staff members determine the legality of such a requirement.
Durango is adjusting its policies as the coronavirus outbreak progresses. When the employee first reported symptoms, it was before the state’s emergency declaration and stay-at-home order.
Staff did not have procedures in place, so it recommended aggressive mitigation measures, such as immediate self-isolation.
Most employees now work from home. If a critical employee who is still in the field reports symptoms of the illness, the city does not wait for test results. Instead, officials assume it is a positive case and instruct the person to stay home in isolation until the two-week incubation period ends.
The city plans to release information about positive test results in the future to make sure public health information is being shared, Blake said.
smullane@durangoherald.com