There has been talk on social media that reported exposure to COVID-19 at the Care and Share Center in Crookston. Polk County Public Health released the statement/release below along with comments Care and Share Executive Director Brian Halos made to KROX –
Polk County Public Health has received reports regarding 
an “exposure to Covid-19” message on the New Hope Food Shelf Facebook page. We have confirmed that the message was not posted by a Care and Share staff member. Care and Share Executive Director Brian Halos said, “I can tell you basically that post did come from us. That was a former employee that actually set up the food shelf Facebook page. And she put that out and it’s misinformation. We do not have a resident living here with COVID.”
The Care and Share confirmed one positive Covid-19 employee who was in the building for approximately three hours last week and had no known interaction with the food shelf. Halos said the posts information about contact with the food shelf was false. “He had nothing to do with the food shelf area,” said Halos. “He had no exposure to the food shelf workers. So, according to Polk County Health, I guess the experts said there’s no further exposure risk. Like I said that post regarding the food shelf and if you were at the food shelf that’s not true.”
Internally they identified potential close contacts and have taken the necessary precautions. Currently, there is no known additional risk to the public. Halos said two of 
three staff who had close contacts with the positive employee were sent home and a third hadn’t been to the facility this week. “Very part-time worker was here and spent maybe three hours in his workroom,” said Halos. “He called me a few days later and told me he’d tested positive. That was the only time he’s been in the building in three months. He told me who he’d been in contact with. One of them hadn’t been in the building this week but sent the other two home told them to get tested and let us know the result because they were the only close contacts with him.”
This is a great opportunity for us to provide accurate information regarding exposures to Covid-19. COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly from person to person. Spread occurs between people who are in close contact with one another through respiratory droplets. COVID-19 can be spread by people who are not showing symptoms or before their symptoms start. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines close contact as “individuals within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes”. Anyone exposed to close contacts (i.e. exposure to an exposure) does not meet the definition of close contacts.
To stop Covid-19 from spreading in the community, our health department will follow up with known close contacts identified by a lab-confirmed individual. The goals of this conversation are to inform the person that they may have been exposed to COVID-19, answer questions, gather information for continued monitoring, and provide referrals for testing, medical evaluation, and other necessary support services.
There is community transmission so continue to practice social distancing, be alert for symptoms, contact your healthcare provider to get tested if symptoms develop and isolate/separate yourself from others until test results are back. If you recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19, stay home and monitor your health for 14 days after your last day of exposure.
