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ELKINS -- Elkins City Hall remains closed after an employee tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday and no reopening date has been announced.
A City of Elkins press release on Friday said reopening could occur on Monday, but officials must wait until all tested employees' results return before setting a date.
"Employees whose tests come back negative are permitted to return to work immediately under strict precautions, such as distancing, masks, gloves as needed, and frequent sanitization measures," said Elkins City Clerk Jessica Sutton. "The original employee who tested positive and any others who may test positive will have to follow individual guidance from the health department as to when and how they can return."
Officials ordered the closure of City Hall because, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, it is possible to carry the virus for as long as two weeks before showing symptoms. City officials wanted to prevent additional cases being transmitted to other employees, the press release states.
Once the city confirmed the first employee's positive test, City Hall was closed. The city then followed the guidance of the West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources and the Randolph-Elkins Health Department to identify and document known contacts with the positive employee. City Hall staff also conducted deep cleaning of the indicated workspaces.
On Thursday, the identified individuals were swabbed for the COVID-19 virus. As per DHHR and CDC guidelines, these employees are required to self-isolate until test results are received.
According to the press release, after looking at the layout of the building, with the testing efforts underway and considering the nature of employees' interactions with customers, REHD officials have approved the reopening of City Hall once the testing process is completed. City Hall could reopen as early as Monday if a sufficient number of employees test negative for the COVID-19 virus.
"Of course, if we learn about any new positive cases, we will have to reevaluate additional potential employee exposures and any risk to the public before determining next steps," Sutton said.