LAKEWOOD, Colo — An employee at the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) in Lakewood may have been exposed to the new strain of coronavirus known as COVID-19, according to a letter obtained by 9NEWS that was sent to employees.
The letter says the employee was exposed roughly two weeks ago and is currently self-quarantined. The employee has demonstrated no confirmed exposure, no confirmed symptoms and no confirmed infection.
In an abundance of caution, the letter says all Denver ONRR employees were given the option to telework through the rest of the week while the situation is evaluated.
In a statement to 9NEWS, Dr. Kate Sawyer, chief medical officer for the Interior Department’s Office of Occupational Safety & Health said:
“Today, an ONRR employee was notified that they may have been exposed during a trip, which ended 12 days ago. The employee has no confirmed exposure, no confirmed symptoms, and no confirmed infection. As a medical professional, I believe the risk to the employee is low and the risk to the office is extremely low, if not unlikely. I am reassured that the employee has not become symptomatic and is almost at the end of the recommended 14-day self-monitoring period. As an added precaution, the Interior Department’s Office of Occupational Safety & Health supports Denver ONRR’s decision to take additional steps to ensure the health of the one building and provide employees with the option to telework for the remainder of the week. We continue to coordinate with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the DOI Office of Emergency Management (OEM) as we take precautions against any possible exposure.”
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