City workers quarantined

10.jpg the coronavirus is forcing entire departments in some cities to quarantine....so, then what...especially if it's considered an essential service?

Abc 36's christy bollinger shows you two examples in lexington and richmond.

L3: abc 36 news white manager - richmond l3: abc 36 news white several city employees in quarantine richmond & lexington l3 christy: abc 36 news white white ken armstrong commissioner, dept.

Of lexington public safety l3: abc 36 news white several city employees in quarantine richmond & lexington what does a city do when an entire department is quarantined due to an employee testing positive for the coronavirus?

Plan and adjust.

That's what the city of richmond did before everyone in the public works department was forced to quarantine for two weeks.

The department handles...among other things...road repairs, potholes, picks up tree limbs and leaves..

And helps with traroy mager "we ask that citizens be patient with us while we try to cover these services and hopefully we'll be back to full operation next tuesday."

In the meantime, the city is covering with workers from the parks and recycling departments.

"it's not unfamiliar territory for these people but it'll run them a little thin with everything else they're doing right now."

But even with the temporary fill- ins...the city says road repairs, pothole filling and fall paving projects will be delayed a week.

Christy"21 employees in the public works department currently in quarantine.

Let's take a walk over to lexington where the emergency management department has six employees in quarantine."

The city says an employee's positive test sent six co- workers home..

Leaving only two in the department.

Keith armstrong-lex public safety "we could pull from essentially any division in government.

We have some plans to do that if needed, but we don't think it will be."

The city says the six in quarantine are working from home..

So the department's primary operation, which is the mobile neighborhood covid-19 testing program..

Will not be affected.

"the mayor and the council have been very proactive in making sure that our departments' are ready to respond to any community needs if any of the divisions are affected by covid like this."

Plan and adjust.

Christy bollinger, abc 36 news.

Ots image:left city workers quarantined coronavirus 10.jpg the city of lexington says since coronavirus tracking began... the fire department has had 28 people test positive....four are currently in isolation.

Fourteen in the police department...no one is in isolation right now and the jail has had 15 employees test positive...three are still in isolation.

Ots video