City Reports Six New COVID-19 Cases in Past Week

Bloomington, Ind. - Four City of Bloomington Utilities (CBU) employees, one Department of Public Works (DPW) employee, and one Bloomington Police Department (BPD) employee reported receiving positive results of COVID-19 viral tests over the last week.  These employees were not traced to previous cases among the City workforce, nor to each other.  Details of each case are as follows:

• One CBU employee, who works in the Environmental Division, began experiencing symptoms on Saturday, September 4, receiving a positive result on Thursday, September 9.  No close contacts were identified among the employee’s co-workers or the general public.  

• One CBU employee, who works in the Transmission and Distribution Division began experiencing symptoms on Friday, September 10, receiving a positive result on Monday, September 13.  No close contacts were identified among the employee’s co-workers or the general public.  

• One CBU employee, who works in the Transmission and Distribution Division, began experiencing symptoms on Saturday, September 11, receiving a positive result on Monday, September 13.  Coworkers identified as close contacts were notified; no members of the public were placed at risk of exposure to COVID-19 by the employee in the course of their work.   

• One CBU employee, who works at the Dillman Water Treatment Plant, began experiencing symptoms on Friday, September 10, receiving a positive result on Tuesday, September 14. No close contacts were identified among the employee’s co-workers or the general public.  

• The BPD employee, who works in the Central Emergency Dispatch Center, began experiencing symptoms on Monday, September 6, receiving a positive result on Friday, September 10.  No close contacts were identified among the employee’s co-workers or the general public. 

• The DPW employee, who works in the Fleet Division, began experiencing symptoms on Saturday, September 11, receiving a positive result on Wednesday, September 15.   Coworkers identified as close contacts were notified; no members of the public were placed at risk of exposure to COVID-19 by the employee in the course of their work.   

“Close contact” is defined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as someone who was within six feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before illness onset--or, for asymptomatic clients, two days prior to positive specimen collection--until the time the patient is isolated. 

This week’s report of six positive COVID-19 viral test results among the City workforce is the highest weekly number in 2021.  Including these results, 104 positive COVID-19 viral test results have been reported since the start of the pandemic by City workers, including those employed by the municipal corporations that operate the water utility (CBU), transit system (Bloomington Transit), and public housing (Bloomington Housing Authority).  Additionally, COVID-19 was listed among the causes of death of one City worker.  

Data about COVID-19 cases among City employees, in the county, the state and the nation are presented at this online dashboard. Other City-related updates about the COVID-19 pandemic are assembled here.  

The City of Bloomington is committed to sharing information about how its operations and workforce are affected by this public health emergency, and will continue to provide weekly updates about confirmed cases among staff while protecting employees’ privacy.