U.Va. staff member tests positive for COVID-19

Employee works for U.Va. Women's Center

Published March 17, 2020 by Sydney Lake

University of Virginia President James E. Ryan announced late Monday that a U.Va. Women’s Center staff member has tested positive for COVID-19.

“Given the progression of the virus, it is not a surprise to discover a local case, but we know it will heighten anxiety,” Ryan said in the statement.

The individual is in quarantine at home and is receiving care there. The Virginia Department of Health is working to identify people who had come in contact with the individual and arranging their isolation, Ryan said, adding that U.Va. is working to support students, faculty and staff who could have been impacted.

The U.Va. Women’s Center is being vacated and deep-cleaned, according to protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

As of Monday at noon, the Virginia Department of Health confirmed  51 cases in the commonwealth, with two deaths.

There are more than 180,000 novel coronavirus cases worldwide, with more than 7,100 deaths reported, as of March 17. Nearly 4,700 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed across the United States, with 85 deaths reported.