An employee of North Central College who works in the Naperville campus’ Old Main building has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to a news release from President Troy Hammond.
North Central was notified of the confirmed COVID-19 case March 21, the same day the employee, who is part of the administrative staff, was notified, the release said.
The staff member was last at work March 10, and went home after starting to feel ill. The staff member was not immediately tested, but began a 14-day self-quarantine after consulting with their health care provider, according to Hammond.
Other campus community members who had close contact with the administrative staff member were contacted, per health department guidelines, and North Central remains in contact with the individual, their family and local health agencies, according to the news release.
“We knew that it was likely only a matter of time before our campus community would be more directly affected by COVID-19, which is why we’ve taken the steps that we have over the past several days and weeks to prioritize the health and well-being of our students, faculty and staff, as well as the broader community,” Hammond said in the news release. “We have been told by public health officials to expect additional cases in the days and weeks to come; that information doesn’t make today’s news any less upsetting.”
Hammond asked the community to join him in keeping the North Central employee in their thoughts and prayers, and to wish them well for a full recovery. He also reinforced that per health care guidelines, the college has a responsibility to maintain the privacy of the individual.
North Central’s last day of in-person instruction before the college switched to remote instruction was March 13. The school on March 16 announced it was canceling its spring commencement ceremony and asked students to move out of their dorms by 7 p.m. March 18.
North Central plans to post updates about any additional confirmed COVID-19 cases on the college’s website at info.northcentralcollege.edu.
“I encourage everyone in our campus community to continue caring for each other during these trying times,” Hammond said.
ehegarty@tribpub.com
