Richland County library branch closes after employee tests positive for COVID-19
A branch of the Richland County Library system closed Tuesday after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.
The Eastover location was shut down after it was confirmed a staff member had coronavirus, officials said in a news release. That’s at 608 Main St., near the intersection with U.S. 601/McCords Ferry Road.
The branch will remain closed until Saturday, when it’s scheduled to reopen at 9 a.m., according to the release. The building is undergoing additional cleaning and disinfection, library spokeswoman Emily Stoll told The State.
The employee had contact with a small number of customers, officials said. There was no word if the library had contacted those customers about the positive test.
All staff who might have come in contact with the employee, and possibly been exposed to COVID-19, have been informed, officials said. They are self-quarantining as a precaution and following the library’s COVID-19 procedures prior to returning, according to the release.
Safety protocols already in place at Richland County libraries include a mask requirement for employees and visitors, temperature checks and use of hand sanitizer prior to entering the building, environmental cleaning and social distancing guidelines from the CDC and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, plexiglass at all staffed service desks, a limit on the number of customers and employees inside the building, and a 96-hour quarantine on materials before they are recirculated.
While the Eastover branch is closed, customers will not be able to return items in book drops or retrieve their holds through curbside service, according to the release. The library will extend the pickup dates for holds and due dates for materials of customers of the Eastover location.
“The library remains committed in our efforts to provide a safe environment to both visit and work,” officials said. “In light of this health development, we responded quickly and appropriately to close our Eastover location.”
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This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 12:58 PM.
