ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — Two Alamance County Judicial Facilities employees tested positive for COVID-19, the Alamance County Courts COVID-19 Coordinator said in a news release.
One employee received a positive result on Nov. 24 and it was reported to the employer Monday. The other tested positive on Nov. 25.
Court officials said the employees were last in the Alamance County Courthouse on Nov. 13.
As a precaution, the known locations where the employees appeared, have been cleaned and disinfected in accordance with Alamance County Health Department, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and EPA protocols and guidance, the coordinator said. Those who were in these facilities during the same time frame as the employees are encouraged to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms.
If you do not have symptoms, the CDC and DHHS recommend that you continue to take precautions and self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms. Protect yourself from potential exposure by wearing a mask/face covering, practicing social distancing, and washing your hands.
If you become sick or think you may have COVID-19, call your doctor, public health department, or community health center to talk to a medical professional, the release said. They can provide you with additional medical information and assist you in making plans for what to do next. If you are unable to work because you become sick or think you may have COVID-19, contact your supervisor for additional information.
According to the release, all lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 test results are reported to the Alamance County Health Department. Upon receipt, case investigation and contact tracing begins by the local health officials. If you are identified as a person who may have been in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 as set out below, you will be contacted and receive additional guidance from the county’s Health Department. Contact tracing involves the following:
● The Health Department contact tracers contact the positive case and ask the individual for a list of close contacts and ask for information regarding where he or she is employed.
● Contact tracers then attempt to contact each of the positive case’s close contacts, within 48 hours, to notify them that they have been exposed (contact tracers do not identify the positive case) and should quarantine. They also contact the individual’s hiring authority to inform the employer that their employee has tested positive, but they do not provide a name or other identifying information.
● Close contacts are all persons who have been within 6 feet of the positive case for 15 minutes or more within the 48 hours before the positive case began showing symptoms, or within 48 hours before the test if the positive case is asymptomatic.
You can call the COVID-19 Call Center at 336-290-0361 if you believe you have been in close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual and with questions about how you should respond to a reported positive case in your work environment.
If you have symptoms of or recent exposure to COVID-19 or you have recently tested positive for COVID-19, you should not enter a judicial facility. For further guidance if you cannot enter a judicial facility, courthouse personnel should contact their supervisors, and members of the public may send inquiries to the Clerk of Superior Court by calling 336-570-5200 or sending an e-mail to Alamance.Clerk@nccourts.org.