16 App State subcontracted workers test positive for COVID-19
May 14, 2020
AppHealthCare confirmed to university leadership that 16 subcontracted workers who are not Watauga County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, according to an email sent to students Thursday.
One employee tested positive after AppHealthCare identified “a small number of” university employees with potential exposure to the novel coronavirus. Others identified tested negative. The cases pose no direct risk to the university community.
The contractor has thoroughly cleaned the job site and workers are to remain off campus until cleared by public health, according to the university’s email.
“When App State learned of self-reported cases through one of our contractors, we engaged with the contractor and AppHealthCare to ensure access to testing was available to all members of the work crew,” App State said in an email. “The university is implementing enhanced precautionary measures which require all subcontracted workers to wear masks and maintain appropriate physical distance.”
Construction projects remain on schedule, according to the university.
Subcontractor • May 17, 2020 at 6:29 pm
I am a subcontractor on the job site where workers tested positive. They knew about it for a week before telling anyone. They waited until after we left for the day on Friday to let us know people on the job site were sick because last time a worker tested positive on like a Tuesday only about half of the sub contractors showed up for work. If we knew we had been exposed earlier we could have started taking extra precautions but instead they risked our lives and waited until the end of the week so the could clean the building on the weekend and get a full weeks work out of a full staff. Yes they offered us to go get tested but testing center was hours away and you could not come back to work for 3 days until test results cameback because they were not using the instant tests. These are unpaid days off and with many of our significant others out of work and not yet receiving unemployment most of us could afford to do that. Wearing mAsks are not required only about half of people are actually wearing them and in certain times it’s impossible to keep the appropriate distance from other employees because we work in groups. The hand wash station soap is so watered down that it doesn’t even makes suds in your hands . Most of my family are app state alumni and give lots of money to the school. No public health officials have cleared any of us to go back to work but yet we still are working. This article was ether written by someone with bad information or is part of the problem spreading more lies.
Thomas McLaughlin • May 14, 2020 at 8:48 pm
So who are these workers? Where are they from? Who is the subcontractor? Who says there is no danger? Hope you are planning to follow up on this and not take the word of the administration at face value.