On November 12, we were notified by a staff member that someone in their household has tested positive for Covid-19. In an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to close the library. With cases on the rise in Ottawa County, this is the best decision for our community and our staff. We anticipate that the library will re-open on November 30.
To be clear, no SLDL staff members have tested positive for Covid-19. No staff members are showing any symptoms of Covid-19. One of our staff members has a positive case in their household, but the staff member is not showing any symptoms of illness. The Ottawa County Health Department only recommends quarantine or isolation for those who have been in close contact with someone who has Covid-19. Since no one on our staff has Covid-19, our patrons would not need to quarantine or isolate.
Additionally, it is highly unlikely that any patron would have spent more than 15 minutes within a 6 foot radius of the affected staff member, the Health Department’s definition of close contact. At this time, we do not believe that any patrons have cause for concern, since no one on our staff is ill and due to social distancing, cleaning protocols, and mask guidelines that we have in place. Our closing was an abundance of caution as cases continue to rise in Ottawa County. For more guidelines on who should quarantine or isolate, please visit the Ottawa County Health Department website.
