WATSONVILLE—Watsonville city officials on Friday closed the City Hall building for a deep cleaning after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, City Manager Matt Huffaker confirmed.
The employee is now self-isolating and under medical care, Huffaker said.
All employees that were in direct contact with the employee were notified immediately, Huffaker said. County Health will be conducting contact tracing investigations and recommending additional steps as necessary.
The building at 250 Main St. across the street from the Watsonville Civic Plaza and Public Library houses the Public Works & Utilities and the Community Development departments. It has been closed to the public for more than five weeks, and only accessible to City staff, Huffaker said.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we closed the City Hall building today, to have the entire building cleaned and disinfected,” he said in an email.
Huffaker said that the city is following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and the Santa Cruz County Health Department in its response.
“This incident underscores the need to maintain social distancing at all times, to practice thorough hygiene, to monitor for symptoms, and if symptoms arise, to stay away from others and seek medical advice,” he said.
