Released by Greenville County Schools.
Food prep at Hillcrest High was halted after Wednesday, April 1, when an employee fell ill and was referred for COVID-19 testing.
Meals were served on Thursday and Friday, but they were prepared at another site using a completely different team of employees.
The employee who tested positive has not been on site since Monday, March 30. Please note:
- All FANS (Food and Nutrition Services) staff who have been working out of this site were told Wednesday evening to remain in home quarantine until the test results come back. Based on the positive test, they will remain in home quarantine for a minimum of 14 days (through April 16)
- Since the COVID outbreak began, all FANS and GCS transportation personnel have been told to carefully monitor their personal health and that of their family. Anyone with symptoms of any illness, sick family members, a known COVID exposure, or a family member on quarantine as a precaution due to travel have been directed to immediately notify their supervisor and not to report to work
- Through Wednesday, the Hillcrest High kitchen has been preparing approximately 2,600 meals each day for distribution throughout the community and curbside at the school. According to DHEC, interaction by those receiving meals is not considered “prolonged exposure” and are therefore, not at high risk of contracting the virus. Neither the CDC nor the FDA consider food to be at risk of carrying the disease (see links in bullet 5). Bus delivery sites from this location include: Parkside at Verdae, Hyde Park, Mauldin Heights, Berkley Pointe, Lions Gate (Old Mill Rd.), Mauldin Gardens, Rocky Creek Apts., Avalon Apts., Fountain Hills (Chapman Road), and Gateway Village
- While in the kitchen, FANS staff have continued to follow all normal procedures designed to maximize food safety and minimize the spread of illness. This includes regular washing of hands, the wearing of gloves, and changing gloves/washing hands anytime the employee changes tasks, begins prepping a different food item, or sneezes, coughs, or uses the restroom. To the extent possible, our FANS employees are practicing social distancing both in the kitchen and when on-site delivering meals.
- GCS requirements that employees monitor health and change gloves/wash hands when changing tasks goes above and beyond the protective procedures in this CDC document: Link to CDC article Coronavirus and Food Safety. The FDA is in agreement that food is not at risk of carrying coronavirus.
- This is the first FANS employee to test positive for COVID-19 since we began serving free meals on March 16. Our procedure for any future situations will be the same:
- As soon as an employee at a site is recommended for COVID testing, that site will be shut down for food prep and all employees who have interacted with the infected employee will be quarantined until the test results come back. If results are negative, all can return to work. If positive, they must quarantine for 14 days (or amount recommended by DHEC at the time).
- While shut down, the responsibilities of that site will be continued to the extent possible at other locations. When possible (based on human resources) a new team will be formed and the food prep and delivery will take place at another school kitchen.
- We will continue this process unless and until we are unable to recruit enough properly trained employees to safely and effectively continue this program. It is possible, if the virus significantly impacts our food service or transportation staffs, that we will have to scale back the operation from its current 84 locations.
