‘Unsettling’ news: Sacramento County social services employee tests positive for coronavirus

An employee in Sacramento County’s Department of Child, Family and Adult Services has tested positive for the coronavirus.

According to an email sent Friday afternoon by department director Michelle Callejas obtained by The Sacramento Bee, the employee potentially exposed others in at least three county buildings to the virus before staying home from work beginning March 18.

The positive test realizes a fear county employees have voiced in recent weeks — with many deemed “essential” and required to continue working from the office, they’re continuing to put themselves, their families and their clients at risk.

Department officials were notified of the diagnosis Thursday, which comes as the county has tried to minimize the spread of the virus by “sending people home to telework and/or to be on leave, practicing social distancing, wiping down surfaces” and more, Callejas said in her email to staff.

“I know this news is unsettling — while we know the number of positive diagnoses will continue going up, and none of us is immune — it just feels closer to home,” she wrote.

The employee is not a social worker, does not go into client homes or have direct contact with clients who receive services from the department, according to county spokeswoman Brenda Bongiorno.

Employees exposed to the individual who tested positive “have already been notified,” Callejas wrote in a follow-up email two days later. “Employees involved have had business interactions” at three county buildings: In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority, Office Building 3 and Business Park Drive.

A client who was in an interview room at Office Building 3 also has reported COVID-19 symptoms, but has not been diagnosed with the virus, according to Callejas. She did not specify what services the client received.

The 14-day estimated incubation period during which symptoms could appear after exposure ends April 1, though Callejas acknowledged the “unsettling aspect of COVID-19” is that individuals who have been infected with the coronavirus may be asymptomatic, meaning they could continue to spread the virus without realizing it.

“In some situations, we simply can’t know if we have been directly exposed,” Callejas wrote in her follow-up email.

The Department of Child, Family and Adult Services operates programs for some of the county’s most vulnerable residents — in-home check-ins with senior citizens, emergency hotlines for neglect and abuse, Child Protective Services and more.

The office where the person works “has been deep cleaned and sanitized,” Bongiorno said in an email, and added that janitorial services in all department buildings have been increased.

It is unclear which division the employee who tested positive works in, and how many employees may have been exposed to the virus.

Callejas noted in her email guidance from the county’s Department of Health Services, which stated that “unless we have come within 1 to 5 feet of someone who has been diagnosed or showing symptoms, chances of contracting the virus are low.”

On March 19, a day after the employee with COVID-19 stopped coming into the office, Sacramento County and California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued orders to all residents to only go out for essential jobs and chores.

Public health experts widely agree that limiting contact between people is one of the key ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus, buying time for hospitals to treat patients without a surge of cases overwhelming the healthcare system.

But many county employees deemed “essential” — among them, clerical staff, social workers and eligibility workers — are still being asked by supervisors and managers to do their job in their office, though some say they could do it from home with a phone and computer.

The county said its employees that are working in offices have been educated about social distancing and safe hygiene practices. Ted Somera, executive director of the largest union representing Sacramento County employees, argues it isn’t enough.

“Do we need 50, 60 people in the office? Can we do a rotation?” he previously told The Bee. “There’s a lot of general fear, of them getting the virus (at work) and taking it home to their family.”

As of Monday, there are at least 224 cases of the coronavirus in Sacramento County, double the number of cases from just five days ago. Seven in the county have died from complications from COVID-19.

Callejas told employees, “If you are feeling ill, please notify your supervisor and stay home.

“Please continue supporting each other and take care of yourselves and your families. Thank you for your continued service to our community during this challenging time.”

This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 2:41 PM.