UT-Austin Custodian Dies Of Coronavirus

AUSTIN, TX — A custodial services worker at the University of Texas at Austin has died of the coronavirus, school officials confirmed Tuesday.

In a message to the UT-Austin community, Interim President Jay Hartzell said the loss marks the first death from coronavirus at the university amid rising rates of the illness across Travis County.

"Last night, I received extremely sad news confirming the COVID-19-related death of one of our custodial services team members," Hartzell wrote. "This loss is absolutely devastating to me, as I know it is to so many members of our campus community. This is our university’s first death related to COVID-19 and it comes at a time when cases are growing in Texas and Travis County."

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Out of respect to the family and given patient privacy laws, no further identifying details were released.

Hartzell said the custodian's positive test result was appropriately reported to the university’s HealthPoint Occupational Health Program last month. Contact tracing, employee notification and facility assessment and disinfection occurred as necessary, he added, and all affected individuals had followed guidance to self-isolate following public health protocols.

Hartzell pointed to the many campus resources providing , needed support to UT community members, including the HealthPoint Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is providing grief counseling services to the individual’s co-workers in custodial services. EAP is also open and providing services remotely to employees through video and phone counseling, the interim president added, and said the Counseling and Mental Health Center continues to provide services for students.

"There are no actions or new precautions to take on campus right now," Hartzell said. "However, given the virus is still very active in our city and in other locations across the state and nation, everyone should continue to follow preventive precautions., regardless of where you are.

Those precautions are:

• Wear cloth masks when around other people.
• Keep a minimum distance of six feet from others whenever possible.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

You can read more about preventive precautions on the university website.

"This is a heartbreaking moment for Longhorn Nation," Hartzell said. "We have weathered the pandemic for months, but now, it has become personal in a whole new way. As we manage our grief, it is my hope that we can pull together, unite, and redouble our commitment to health, safety and combatting this disease on campus and within our communities."