COVID-19 outbreak in Lexington solicitor’s office sidelines lawyers, sends staff home
Prosecutors in Lexington County are trying to handle the business of justice at the courthouse at the same time attorneys are dealing with an outbreak of the coronavirus.
In the past couple weeks, there have been four diagnosed cases in the Lexington solicitor’s office, 11th Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard confirmed to The State.. Five other people who have come into contact with those diagnosed have gone into quarantine.
Most employees in the prosecutor’s office are working from home this week in an attempt to curb any spread of the virus.
“We’re trying to stay ahead of it,” Hubbard said. “Fortunately, nobody has been critically ill.”
Both prosecutors and office staff have received positive COVID-19 diagnoses, Hubbard said. Two have already been cleared to return to work, and the others will hopefully be able to return to work after the Thanksgiving holiday this week.
The Lexington County Courthouse has taken COVID-19 precautions since court resumed. Masks are required in court most of the time, and the lawyers, judge and even the jurors are separated from each other, either by a six-foot distance or plastic dividers. No cases have been tied to an exposure in the courthouse.
Judge Frank Addy, the chief administrative judge for the circuit, said a fogging machine has been used to sanitize the courthouse between sessions to ensure court cases can go forward in a sterile environment.
“I don’t think that courthouse has ever been cleaner,” Addy said.
Everyone at Lexington’s courthouse got used to handling court hearings remotely earlier this year, and court could shift back online if necessary, Addy said.
This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 3:42 PM.
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