Fairfield Postal Worker Tests Positive For Coronavirus

FAIRFIELD, CT — A Fairfield postal worker has tested positive for the new coronavirus.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service confirmed the diagnosis in an email Wednesday. He declined to provide additional information about the employee, citing federal law. The postal service believes the risk of infection is low for the coronavirus patient’s coworkers, according to spokesperson Amy Gibbs, who added that experts have found no evidence that the coronavirus can spread through the mail.

As of Tuesday, 197 postal workers nationwide had been diagnosed with the new coronavirus, also called COVID-19, according to information provided to the Fairfield Health Department by the postal service.

"The safety and well-being of our employees is our highest priority," Gibbs said in an email.

To sign up for Fairfield breaking news alerts and more, click here.

To reduce health risks for workers and the public, the postal service has modified some procedures. When mail requires a signature, a postal employee will now enter the information while the customer remains at a safe distance. In post offices, floor tape will help the public stand 6 feet apart in line and 3 feet from the counter, signs will notify customers about social distancing, and some locations will install plastic guards at service windows.

Fairfield residents should not have direct contact with their postal carriers, Health Department Director Sands Cleary said. Residents who want to take additional precautions can decontaminate the surface where they open their mail after doing so and wash their hands. They can also wait 24 hours before opening new mail, at which time the virus will no longer be viable.

“I understand that people might want to take extra steps and that’s perfectly fine,” Cleary said.

As of Wednesday, there were 47 confirmed cases of the virus in Fairfield and 3,557 confirmed coronavirus cases across Connecticut, according to state data.