This story was updated at 9:40 p.m. April 6, 2020, to include information about Asbury Methodist Village.
Two Montgomery County Public Schools staff members who helped distribute free meals to students tested positive for the coronavirus, the school district announced Monday night.
The two staff members worked at the Glen Haven Elementary School site in Wheaton.
Montgomery County officials also announced on Monday that an employee with the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation has tested positive for the coronavirus disease.
On Monday night, Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, a retirement community, also posted news about two coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, cases it had just learned about. One was a resident living independently in an apartment; the second was an associate who had not worked on the campus since March 22, according to a post on Asbury’s Facebook page.
Last week, Deputy Health Secretary Fran Phillips said there have been coronavirus outbreaks at 60 nursing home facilities throughout the state, including 10 in Montgomery County.
The school district employees, who were not identified by MCPS, last worked at the site on March 26 and did not have symptoms, according to a message sent to community members.
Other employees who worked with the two patients have been asked to self-quarantine for two weeks. Anyone who visited the school prior to March 26 should monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, shortness of breath and a cough.
The MCPS message says the “risk level to students and families is low given that the staff members were not symptomatic while working on site.”
The employees used masks and gloves and only handled prepackaged food in the school kitchen, the message says.
“MCPS has temporarily closed the school kitchen and is utilizing a mobile delivery truck to continue food distribution at Glen Haven, in accordance with CDC guidelines for social distancing,” the message said. “We ask community members to monitor for symptoms and to contact your health provider if you display symptoms or have any questions.”
The Department of Correction and Rehabilitation employee who tested positive also last went to work on March 26, at the county jail near Clarksburg, according to a county press release. The press release did not give additional information about when the worker tested positive, but said the person, who was not identified, is “doing well” and has no symptoms.
All “relevant staff” who had contact with the employee have been quarantined and inmates who had contact with the employee are having their temperature checked every day for 14 days, the press release stated.
Other agencies to report employees testing positive for the virus have included the police and fire departments and Alcohol Beverage Services.
Managing Editor Andrew Schotz contributed to this story.
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To see a timeline of major coronavirus developments in Maryland and Montgomery County, click here.
