Bloomfield Tests Town Workers For Coronavirus After Thanksgiving

BLOOMFIELD, NJ —Bloomfield has been testing all municipal workers who returned to the job after Thanksgiving for the coronavirus, officials announced Friday.

The township partnered with Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville to ensure that every employee is tested this week and results come back quickly, Bloomfield town officials said.

If an employee tests positive, they will be informed to quarantine and will not be allowed back in the municipal building until they no longer have the virus, officials said.

Among those who got a test was Mayor Michael Venezia, who visited the hospital on Friday.

“With the possibility that there could be spikes in cases of COVID-19 as a result of Thanksgiving, we are exercising an abundance of caution and testing every single township employee,” Venezia said. “It is our top priority to keep our employees and members of the public healthy until this crisis is behind us.”

• See related article: Coronavirus Cases Rise In Bloomfield Over Thanksgiving Week

As part of the township’s plan to slow the spread of COVID-19, measures have been taken which include masks being worn, work from home when possible, staggered work shifts, plexiglass barriers and separation from others. Additionally, the township has placed thermal imaging cameras at entrances to the municipal building and police headquarters/court to check the temperature of everyone that enters the building.

Working with Clara Maass, the township recently set up a protocol so that any employee showing symptoms of COVID-19 – or that believes they have been in close contact with someone who tested positive – can be tested quickly at the hospital.

“The cooperation that the township receives from Clara Maass has been an invaluable asset to us,” Personnel Director Kimberly Duva said. “Together, we have worked very efficiently to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among staff with minimal disruption to municipal operations as a result.”

“We see this partnership agreement as an opportunity to support our neighbors in Bloomfield, to educate our community and to keep the members of our community safe,” said Mary Ellen Clyne, president and CEO of Clara Maass Medical Center.

• See related article: Essex County On COVID 'Red Zone' List: See Updates For Each Town

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