Some employees at a Largo MVA Branch are afraid to go back to work after five people there caught coronavirus, and one of them died. News4’s Shomari Stone has their story.
Five employees at the Largo branch office of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration have tested positive for COVID-19 and one of them has died, officials say.
According to a Maryland Department of Transportation MVA spokesperson, the employee who most recently tested positive received their positive test result on Oct. 10. The employee last worked at the branch on Oct. 3.
“Contact tracing has been underway to determine others these individuals may have been in contact with, and they have been instructed to self-quarantine due to potential exposure,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Cleaning crews thoroughly cleaned and disinfected the Largo facility, according to the MVA spokesperson.
The Largo branch remains open and customers and staff are required to wear face coverings and participate in a brief health screening and temperature scan when they enter.
Some employees who are in quarantine told News4 they are concerned about coming back to work at the facility.
"I am terrified, along with my other employees who are terrified," said Walter Powell.
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“Throughout this pandemic the Hogan Administration has failed his employees at each turn,” said Patrick Moran, president of the MVA union. “His administration didn’t supply enough PPE, they didn’t fix or upgrade ventilation systems, they won’t compensate employees coming to work, unable to socially distance.”
MVA officials say they are taking the necessary measures to keep their customers and employees safe, but union representatives believe the state should be doing more.
