SC Lottery Claims Center in Columbia closed due to COVID-19 concerns
The South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center in downtown Columbia will be closed for days because of COVID-19 concerns.
An employee at the office in the 1300 block of Assembly Street was exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, lottery officials said Wednesday in a news release. That’s in a busy area between Washington and Lady streets, a block away from the South Carolina State House and the main branch of the Richland County library.
The claims center was closed Wednesday afternoon for cleaning and disinfection, according to the release.
The employee who came in contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 worked in the back office at the claims center and did not interact with people coming to cash in winning lottery prizes, officials said.
Information if the employee has been tested for the coronavirus, or a result, was not made available by lottery officials.
All lottery employees working at the claims center will be monitored and will voluntarily quarantine, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, officials said.
There was no word on how many other employees are being tested or quarantined.
The Assembly Street location will be closed through the Labor Day weekend, officials said. It is currently scheduled to reopen Tuesday, when it will be staffed by employees who are not being quarantined, according to the release.
Claims for prizes more than $500, and up to $100,000, can still be submitted by mail before the claims center reopens. Claims for prizes over $100,000 must be presented in-person when the Assembly Street office reopens.
Claim forms can be downloaded from the website, www.sceducationlottery.com.
Lottery officials encourage winners to make copies of their claim form and ticket before placing them in the mail.
Through Wednesday, health officials have confirmed 118,699 cases of COVID-19 in South Carolina, and 2,652 coronavirus-related deaths. In Richland County, 11,440 positive tests and 188 deaths have been reported, according to DHEC.
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