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Cherokee County Health Department has announced that an employee at the Lowe’s in Murphy has tested positive for COVID-19.
The individual was symptomatic for almost two weeks before seeking care, therefore, the health department says it is concerned that the virus could have been spread at Lowe’s.
“If you have been to Lowe’s in Murphy, NC any time between March 22 and April 7 and you had contact with anyone who was less than 6 feet from you for 10 minutes or longer, it is advised that you quarantine yourself and monitor for symptoms of illness for 14 days from the date of potential exposure,” states the press release.
Nationwide Lowe’s over 300,000 employees were deemed “essential” and have continued to work since local and statewide stay-at-home orders have been in effect. The company has begun to close stores at 7 p.m. in order to clean and sanitize, as well as, appointing “social distancing ambassadors” to help fight COVID-19 spread.
Lowe's recently announced that all stores will be closed on Easter Sunday, April 12, as a ‘thank you’ to employees.
Cherokee County Health Department says it is working closely with Lowe’s of Murphy, NC in order to determine dates and times the individual was working. Coworkers of the individual are being notified, assessed and tested as indicated based on risk. The infected individual has not had contact with anyone known to be infected with COVID-19.
This is not the first case of community spread in Cherokee County. Yesterday, a Cherokee County resident who works at a Georgia healthcare facility tested positive for COVID-19. They had not been in direct contact with any positive cases either.
Cherokee Health Department says that to their knowledge, no county residents are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19.There has been one death related to COVID-19 in the county. Last Friday, 6 people in the county who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 recovered, according to the local health department.
