West Columbia doctors office closes after employees test positive for COVID-19
A doctors office in West Columbia has temporarily closed after multiple employees tested positive for COVID-19.
Lexington Family Practice West Columbia, which operates under the Lexington Medical Center umbrella on Platt Springs Road, will undergo a deep cleaning while it is shut down, LMC spokeswoman Jennifer Wilson confirmed.
Wilson could not confirm the exact number of employees who tested positive but referred to the total as “some employees.” All patients who “had a high risk for exposure” to the infected employees will be contacted, Wilson added.
WIS reported that patients who had appointments set for this week have been rescheduled. But Wilson also said the practice has not made a final determination on when it will reopen but added that that decision will be made “soon.”
“If patients have questions about appointments, testing or prescription refills, they can call the practice and leave a voice mail message. Someone will return their call as soon as possible,” Wilson said.
In a statement, Lexington Medical Center also noted that Lexington County as a whole has seen increased coronavirus activity as of late. South Carolina reported a record 687 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, and Lexington County saw one of the biggest increases with 52 new cases.
Since June 3, the county has reported at least 20 new cases per day for eight days. Prior to that, there had only been five days of 20 or more cases in the county since the beginning of the pandemic in early March.
The rate of infection among health care workers, both in South Carolina and nationally, is not precisely known.
Lexington Medical Center is one of several providers in South Carolina offering mobile testing sites for COVID-19, with one available June 16 at Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia. A full list of testing sites is available on the Department of Health and Environmental Control’s website.
