LAUSD Employee Diagnosed With Coronavirus, Second Case Possible

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A Los Angeles Unified School District employee has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, and there is a "possible second occurrence" not yet confirmed by health officials, the district said Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, as the virus spreads throughout the communities we serve, these are not likely to be the only employees who are diagnosed with the virus," Superintendent Austin Beutner wrote in a districtwide memo. "Federal law does not allow LA Unified to share the identity of any individual patient, nor are any employees required to inform LA Unified if they have the virus. When we have verifiable information, we will do our best to notify those who may have come in contact with anyone who is diagnosed so they can take appropriate actions."

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In the memo, Beutner wrote that one of the employees was diagnosed with COVID-19 by a health care provider, but has not yet been formally tested due to "unavailability of the test."

The employee worked on the 28th floor of the LAUSD's Beaudry Avenue downtown headquarters on March 13, Beutner wrote. Several people who might have been exposed at the building met with a member of the district's contract administration staff on the second floor of the LAUSD's Pico Rivera Office on March 19.

"Based on guidance from the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, anyone who works on the 28th floor at Beaudry or in contract administration on the second floor Pico Rivera Office should work from home in a self-quarantine capacity through April 3rd," Beutner wrote.