West University Place was notified June 17 of the positive test result. The employee went out to get tested immediately after learning another person who had attended the same June 13 gathering as the employee had tested positive for COVID-19, said James Urban, the city’s human resources director.
“For most part, they had little to no direct interaction with members of the public,” he said.
At the time of the positive test result, the employee was asymptomatic, Urban said.
The employee worked at Colonial Park Pool from June 14-16 between the time the employee was exposed to the coronavirus to when they received the positive test result and quarantined themselves, Urban said.
According to the city’s announcement, other employees who may have had a prolonged exposure to the individual have been identified and quarantined.
“Our biggest concerns were about those other employees they interacted with,” Urban said.
To protect the individual’s privacy regarding health information, the employee’s name and position have not been released by the city, though Urban did say the employee worked neither at the city’s concession stand nor the front desk.
Residents, staff, or other community members visiting the pool are at low risk because proper hygiene and social distancing were being practiced, according to the city announcement.
Colonial Park Pool will be kept open, Urban confirmed, though West University Place is keeping a close eye on the situation.
“We’re going to keep it open so long as we can keep it open safely,” Urban said.
West University Place, as a whole, has experienced few COVID-19 cases, according to Harris County Public Health data. As of June 19, the city has seen 15 total confirmed cases, with five currently active and 10 recovered cases.
