ANSONIA — Two city employees have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus since the beginning of April, city corporation counsel John Marini confirmed Saturday.
“They have not been hospitalized and are recovering at home,” Marini said.
The employees work for the city’s Department of Public Works.
“Those employees have been sent home to self quarantine, along with several other public works employees who were recently in close contact with the individuals who tested positive,” Marini said in a message to The Valley Indy.
Eleven DPW workers, including the two who tested positive, are in quarantine. There are 28 employees total in Ansonia DPW.
The Ansonia infections were mentioned during an online meeting of the Derby Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen Thursday. Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan had mentioned employees, such as Derby WPCA workers, are working nontraditional shifts to limit COVID-19 transmissions should an employee test positive.
Ansonia Public Works employees have been working staggered shifts too, Marini said, as a precaution during the pandemic.
“The Public Works Department has already been operating on staggered shifts and sending employees out on isolated assignments,” he said. “The staggered shift arrangement has made it possible to isolate an entire shift in an event like this to help prevent spread of the inflection.”
City government learned of the first case April 2 and took a DPW work shift out of service and into quarantine.
“The priority is to keep Ansonia’s residents and employees safe. In fact, the first crew was pulled prior to the employee testing positive (after the employee had called out sick and was experiencing COVID19 like symptoms),” Marini said.
City government learned of a second case April 9 and took a second shift out of service and into quarantine.
“The first crew is due back (to return to work), though the city will first be checking in with its employees individually and consulting with the Valley Health District to ensure the crew is safe to return,” Marini said.
According to the Naugatuck Valley Health District, there are 119 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ansonia. One Ansonia person who tested positive, an unidentified man in his 80s, died, according to the health district.
Click here for information from the CDC about dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here for information from the Naugatuck Valley Health District.
It’s important to note that people may have COVID-19 and never know it, which is why the government is telling people to wear masks in public and to practice social distancing.
Ansonia residents were scheduled to receive an automated phone call from Mayor David Cassetti Saturday. The mayor will be asking people to wear protective masks in public.
Click here to sign up for “CodeRed” announcements in Ansonia.
Since March 14, 843 COVID-19 patients have been discharged across hospitals owned by Yale-New Haven Health, according to posts on social media from the organization.
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