Sisolak staffer in Carson City tests positive for COVID-19

CARSON CITY – Another member of Gov. Steve Sisolak’s Capitol office staff has tested positive for COVID-19, sending other staffers to work from home, but the governor is not deemed at risk, the office announced Monday.

The staffer, who was not identified, is the second from the office in a month. The first, later identifed as the state’s COVID-19 response director Caleb Cage, tested positive Oct. 6. Cage has recovered.

Sisolak returned to Carson City last week after an extended stay in Las Vegas. He took a reguarly scheduled test COVID-19 test last week and another on Monday. Both were negative.

The worker who tested positive Monday received the diagnosis after developing symptoms over the weekend, according to a news release from the governor’s office. The worker was last in the office on Thursday and did not show symptoms then.

The state’s epidemiologist conducted a disease investigation interview with the staff member and determined that the governor was not a close contact, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The staffer is “fully participating in the disease investigation and contact tracing efforts with their local health authority”to ensure all close contacts are notified and informed of next steps in accordance with public health guidelines,” the governor’s office said in the statement. Other staffers are working from home and any identified as close contacts “will follow all public health guidelines, including contact tracing, quarantining and testing.”

The office, which conducts temperature checks of staff, requires face coverings, social distancing and strict hygiene procedures, underwent an additional deep cleaning Monday.

Contact Capital Bureau reporter Bill Dentzer at bdentzer@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DentzerNews on Twitter.