Positive coronavirus cases close Huntington Town Hall
Huntington Town Hall will be closed Thursday and Friday for cleaning. Credit: Raychel Brightman
Huntington Town Hall will be closed Thursday and Friday for cleaning after staff members in two separate departments tested positive for COVID-19, town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci said.
The building on Main Street, which has been closed to the public since March 16, will remain open only for janitorial staff and the security division of the public safety department, Lupinacci said.
The town assessor’s office and engineering services department both had been closed to employees Tuesday after two workers who had been self-isolating since March 16 reported testing positive for coronavirus.
A second employee in the engineering services department — which includes the division of building and housing — who had been self-isolating since leaving work on March 18 reported symptoms of COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Employees in the assessor’s office and engineering services department reporting to work on Tuesday were sent home, and the offices were cleaned and disinfected by a professional cleaning service.
“Although health care officials from Suffolk County and Huntington Hospital have advised us that closing those departments to employees was not warranted, as a precaution and for everyone’s peace of mind, employees will not be returning to the Departments of Assessor or Engineering Services until further notice,” Lupinacci said.
He said he will evaluate the situation over the weekend as to when to reopen the building to essential staff.
He also said the town’s highway department has reported its first employee testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. The office in East Northport is closed for professional cleaning until further notice. The department has been closed to the public since March 13. The department had limited staffing and ceased nonemergency operations on March 20.
Deborah Morris is a native Long Islander and covers the town of Huntington.
