Lifeguards, staff at county pools test positive for COVID-19, Mecklenburg officials say

Two lifeguards and two supervisors who work at county pools have tested positive for COVID-19, Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio told elected officials Friday afternoon.

The employees rotate shifts between the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center and Double Oaks Pool, Diorio wrote in an email that was shared with The Charlotte Observer.

“Public Health did a case investigation and it appears that they did not contract the virus while at work,” Diorio wrote. “Other staff that may have come in contact with these four individuals have been contacted by Human Resources....I want to emphasize that staff were following CDC guidelines while at work.”

The county is not planning to close the facilities for now, Diorio wrote.

The health department’s investigation “has not identified significant risk of exposure to the public,” officials said in a press release Friday.

But people may not develop coronavirus symptoms until two to 14 days after coming into close contact with an infected individual. Some people might not develop symptoms but could still be contagious, officials said.

The Aquatic Center re-opened on June 15, with modified hours and capacity in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Swim lanes can only accommodate one person, and swimmers are limited to one-hour sessions, according to the county’s website.

The Double Oaks Family Aquatic Center re-opened on June 20, although Cordelia Pool is closed for the summer, according to the county’s website.

Swimmers are limited to 90-minute sessions on a first-come, first-served basis. Staff “safely clean and disinfect” the facility between designated swim blocks, and guests must bring their own chairs, the website stated.

A total of 33 facilities across the county — including nursing homes and daycare centers — are experiencing active COVID-19 outbreaks, according to Mecklenburg’s latest data.

There have been 18,401 confirmed cases and 187 related deaths among county residents as of Friday morning, officials said.

This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 12:49 PM.