2nd worker at Vaughan City Hall tests positive for COVID-19

City all remains closed to public

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 30, 2020
Dina Al-Shibeeb

For the second time this month, someone working at Vaughan City Hall has tested positive for COVID-19.

"Facility Management has undertaken a specialized disinfecting of various areas to ensure Vaughan City Hall continues to be a safe space," the city said.

"This response is in addition to the increased cleaning and disinfecting protocols that have been completed since COVID-19 emerged."

The most recent case at city hall was found Sept. 22. The city confirmed its first case of an employee with COVID-19 Sep. 9.

In both cases, there was no public notice issued. However, Vaughan’s city hall, joint operations centre, and other facilities remain closed to the public until Jan. 4, 2021, at the earliest.

In both city hall cases, YorkRegion.com received news tips that were later confirmed by the city.

York Region Public Health conducts a risk assessment each time there is potential public exposure.

The factors determining risk to the public include if measures such as physical distancing, use of personal protective equipment, the nature of the employee’s work, the extent to which they interact with the general public, how long the employee was at work while infectious, and if there is more than one confirmed case of COVID-19 among employees of the workplace.

Public health said public notice of a case isn’t required when the risk isn’t deemed "elevated" or "when all close contacts can be identified through the interview process with the case".

"The health and safety of staff and citizens continues to be the city’s priority," the city said.

"Should citizens feel unwell and believe they have symptoms related to COVID-19, the city encourages them to contact York Region Public Health, or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000."