Clark County Family Services employee tests positive for COVID-19
A Clark County employee working in a licensed shelter for children who cannot safely remain with their families has tested positive for COVID-19, the county said Monday.
The Department of Family Services employee was confirmed positive on Sunday after leaving her shift a week earlier because she was not feeling well, the county said in a statement.
The employee works at the Child Haven Campus in Nork Cottage, where four children ages 7 to 12 are staying. The facility is one of six cottages on the county campus that provide temporary direct care and daily supervision for children removed from their homes, according to the county website.
The incident is confined to Nork Cottage, the county said.
None of the children or other staff members has exhibited symptoms for the new coronavirus, although the county said it was undertaking precautions in the wake of the positive case and following recommendations by the Southern Nevada Health District.
The four children in the cottage are quarantining there, where access will be restricted to three full-time staff members who have previously been in the cottage. Officials also have issued personal protective equipment to the staff, including masks and gloves, and cleaning supplies.
The children have also been issued masks and, like the staff, have been cleared by health authorities to remain on-site, the county said.
If children do exhibit symptoms, they will be removed from the cottage and placed in isolation in a separate facility on the campus.
No new staff members or children will be allowed to enter the cottage until the quarantine period ends April 12. All children who stayed at the cottage since March 27 are being identified and their caregivers are being notified of the potential exposure. And the county said that all campus staff will be screened before reporting to begin a shift.
The county added that it would continue to practice standard health protocols on the campus, including social distancing, frequent hand-washing and sanitizing surfaces.
Contact Shea Johnson at sjohnson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272. Follow @Shea_LVRJ on Twitter.
