Florida businesses, restaurants not required to report coronavirus cases among employees, officials say
FILE -Nicki Raman serves Beth Derry and Scott Deckard at the Peppermint Downtown Thai restaurant on May 11, 2020 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - FOX 35 investigated whether businesses need to report employees who have COVID-19 to the health department.
Kiwi’s Pub and Grill in Altamonte Springs closed over the weekend. The owner told FOX 35 Orlando that he was worried after finding out some of his customers have COVID-19. Then, he found out one of his workers has the virus too.
Seminole County Health Department Epidemiologist Kevin Baker said that "we do recommend that any kind of business that identifies a staff member is positive reach out to the health department so that way we can talk to them about isolating themselves and don’t expose anybody else."
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FOX 35 Orlando also spoke with the epidemiologist at the Seminole County Health Department to see if businesses are required to report their cases and shut down if their workers get coronavirus. He said that the cases should be reported, but it is not a requirement, and the business is not required to shut down.
“We are not regulatory over businesses. For the most part, that is the Department of Business and Professional Regulation,” Baker said. “So, they don’t have to call us and say I’m shutting down my business.”
A Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation spokesperson told FOX 35 Orlando the same thing. Businesses and restaurants are not required to shut down if workers test positive for coronavirus.
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However, when a person tests positive for the virus, those results are sent to the health department so it can start its investigation.
“So, every day we contact people and identify where they work and ensure that anyone that would be exposed to that individual is contacted,” Baker said.
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