Glenview library closes Youth Services after worker tests positive for COVID-19
The Glenview Public Library closed its Youth Services Department Tuesday after one employee tested positive for COVID-19 and another reported having symptoms, officials said.
The staff member diagnosed with the virus last worked in the library from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 6, according to library news release Tuesday evening. The library will not be sharing the employees' names or any identifying information to protect their confidentiality.
The library's entire Youth Services team has been asked to quarantine. That includes 18 full- and part-time staff members.
"We're working really hard to keep library staff separate within departments to minimize exposure," said Glenview Public Library Director Lindsey Dorfman.
Based on the information reported, it does not appear the employee who tested positive for the virus had any close contact with any members of the public as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the release said.
However, out of an abundance of caution, the library has closed the Youth Services Department until further notice and is enacting the following safety protocols, with guidance from the Cook County Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Public Health:
• Deep cleaning and disinfecting of all surfaces and areas in the Youth Services Department
• Requiring all Youth Services staff members to self-quarantine and get tested for COVID-19
• Any staff member diagnosed with COVID-19 must have two negative tests before returning to work
Dorfman said Youth Services will remain closed at least through Friday, Aug. 21. It will reopen "as soon as possible" after that, she said.
"I think everybody is doing their best to try to figure out how to reopen in a safe way," she said. "We are following CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines and consulting with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Cook County Department of Public Health, and we're doing our best to keep staff and patrons safe with the information that we have."
All other areas of the library are still open for browsing. For details, visit glenviewpl.org.