39 coronavirus cases at Truman Building through last week

An Imo's Pizza employee returns to the entry floor after making a delivery in the Harry S Truman State Office Building in Jefferson City on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020.
An Imo's Pizza employee returns to the entry floor after making a delivery in the Harry S Truman State Office Building in Jefferson City on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020.

Wider coronavirus testing last week within an area of the Harry S. Truman state office building in Jefferson City found 35 positive cases - in addition to a cluster of four cases that prompted authorities to do the expanded testing.

The state's Office of Administration had announced Sept. 13 that "we identified a small cluster of cases" on Friday, Sept. 11, in office suites in the Truman Building that were grouped together.

The response included a box-in containment strategy of testing other employees who worked in the affected area. By Sept. 13, that testing had identified 12 positive cases out of more than 100 people tested, and the testing continued.

OA spokesman Chris Moreland shared a letter sent Sunday to workers in the Truman Building, informing that from Sept. 14-17, a total of 39 positive cases in the building had been reported - 35 of which were found in through the box-in testing, out of about 300 people tested.

That would be a positivity rate of more than 11.6 percent.

The testing was done by the Department of Health and Senior Services and State Emergency Management Agency.

"Those who tested positive are required to remain at home for 10 days. The area affected will remain closed to the public for another week," according to OA's notification to workers.

The letter added health personnel would continue to screen people at doors of the building this week, and everyone in the Truman Building is being asked to wear a mask: "It is well-documented that masks help protect us from COVID. We protect each other when we all wear masks. Remember to wash your hands frequently. Social distance and please stay home if you feel sick or have a fever.

"As with all positive cases, a public health official will contact you if you are considered an exposed contact with any of the individuals who have tested positive," the letter stated.