COVID-19 Outbreak At Sunnyvale Costco; 9 Employees Test Positive For Virus

SUNNYVALE (KPIX 5) - At least 9 employees at Costco in Sunnyvale have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to health officials.

The Santa Clara County Health Department confirmed Wednesday evening that the location was still open. Officials said they were working with the store on the next steps, and an investigation.

Santa Clara officials have a protocol in place they are requiring all businesses that have employees test positive. The two immediate actions, officials said, was to send any employee feeling ill home and those exposed to that worker.

"The worker should be sent home immediately and instructed to isolate for 10 days from the date their symptoms began AND 3 days with no fever and respiratory symptoms have improved," the official guidelines demand. "The individual may return to the worksite after both of these criteria are met and also to quickly identify other employees who have been exposed and send them home for a 14-day period."

In terms of exposure, health officials said close contact was "defined as someone who was within six feet of the person who tested positive for at least 15 minutes."

For workers determined to have close contact, officials said they "should be tested around 7 days after they last had contact with the COVID-19 case."