Black & Veatch asks more workers to quarantine, but none show signs of coronavirus
Two Black & Veatch employees who are being monitored for possible exposure to the novel coronavirus remain symptom-free, the Johnson County engineering firm said Wednesday.
But the company also said that other employees who came in close contact with the two were asked to self-quarantine, at home, for two weeks. It did not specify the number of employees affected.
Under local and federal health guidelines, the other employees could have continued to go to work, a company spokesman said, but out of an abundance of caution, Black & Veatch decided to go beyond those recommendations.
There have been no reported cases of coronavirus in Kansas or Missouri.
“We do not make this decision lightly as we understand the personal hardships of these professionals and their families,” the company said in a statement. “However, as we are unable to test these individuals based on CDC criteria, we have required the 14-day self-quarantine.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state and local officials, say patients will be tested only if they show symptoms (fever of at least 100.4 degrees, cough and shortness of breath) and they have either traveled to countries most affected (such as China and Italy) or have been within about 6 feet of someone who is infected.
The company announced on Monday that the two employees were staying isolated because they might have been exposed on an international flight.
After work spaces and public areas were cleaned at the company’s offices overnight Monday, employees returned to work on Tuesday morning, the spokesman said.
One of the employees, deemed a higher risk of exposure by CDC guidelines, will be evaluated daily by the Johnson County Department of Health, as well as the company, to determine if testing is needed, the statement said.
“As much as is practical, we are working to stay ahead of this and truly demonstrate our safety culture by staying vigilant and encouraging our professionals to follow the recommended best practices governing office, meeting and project site hygiene as well as social distancing to reduce risk factors,” the company’s statement said.
Right now, the CDC recommends that businesses encourage sick employees to stay home, not require a health care provider’s note to validate the employee’s illness, and separate employees with symptoms of respiratory illness from other workers and be sent home.
The company said it continues to track information and recommendations about the virus from national and international health organizations, including the CDC and the World Health Organization.
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 1:34 PM.
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