Clark County School District food service worker dies of COVID-19

The Clark County School District announced a member of its food service department at Desert Pines High School contracted COVID-19 and has passed away.

THAT INCLUDES....A C-C-S-D EMPLOYEE.....WHO WORKED AT A FOODDISTRIBUTION CENTER.....AT DESERT PINES HIGHSCHOOL..... WHICH IS NEAR.....WASHINGTON AND PECOS.13 ACTION NEWS ANCHOR.....JACKIE KOSTEK IS LIVE ATC-C-S-D HEADQUARTERS.....WITH MORE ON THE MAN.....WHO DIED....AND...HOW C-C-S-D IS RESPONDING.JACKIE?A UNION REPRESENTATIVE SAYS THEMAN WAS IN HIS EARLY 50'S ANDDID NOT HAVE ANY UNDERLYINGCONDITIONS THAT THEY WERE AWAREOF.THE LAST DAY THAT FOOD SERVICEWORKER WAS ON THE JOB WAS MARCH23.HE HAS SINCE DIED OF COVID-19.THAT FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTERHAS BEEN SHUT DOWN AND THEMAN'S COWORKERS ARE NOW INQUARANTINE."OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE SCAREDBECAUSE OF COURSE THEY HADCONVERSATIONS WITH HIM AND HEWAS WITH THEM THAT FIRST WEEKOF THE SCHOOL CLOSURE." LISAGUZMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OFTHE EDUCATION SUPPORT EMPLOYEESASSOCIATION, SAYS THE UNION ISNOW CHECKING ON AT LEAST 10OTHER FOOD SERVICE WORKERS WHOARE SELF-QUARANTINED AFTERTHEIR COWORKER DIED OFCOVID-19."CCSD HAS REALLY BEEN GREATABOUT THAT.THEY'RE NOT CHARGING THEM SICKTIME.THEY'RE NOT CHARGING THEMVACATION TIME AND THEY'REALLOWING THEM TO BEQUARANTINED." IN A STATEMENT,CCSD SAID, "WE ARE SORRY THATWE LOST A TEAM MEMBER TO THISINVISIBLE VIRUS.OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH OUR TEAMMEMBER'S FAMILY, LOVED ONES ANDCOLLEAGUES." THE FOODDISTRIBUTION SITE AT DESERTPINES HIGH SCHOOL IS NOW CLOSEDUNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.CCSD IS CLARIFYING PROCEDURESSAYING THAT ALL FOOD SERVICEEMPLOYEES WEAR GLOVES WHILEDISTRIBUTING FOODAND THAT THE FOOD IS PRE-PACKEDAT A CENTRAL KITCHEN OR WRAPPEDBY THE MANUFACTURER."FOOD ITEMS ARE NOT HANDLEDOUTSIDE THEIR PACKAGING BY CCSDFOOD SERVICE WORKERS AT THEDISTRUBUTION SITES." GUZMANSAYS ALTHOUGH CCSD HAS BEENADAPTING TO THE CDC'S EVOLVINGGUIDELINES, THE UNION HAS BEENPUSHING FOR FOOD SERVICEWORKERS TO BE ABLE TO WEAR FACEMASKS FOR WEEKS.SHE SAYS SHE'S GRATEFUL THESEWORKERS HAVE A JOB BUT WANTSTHEM TO BE AS PROTECTED ASPOSSIBLE."OUR FOLKS ARE ESSENTIAL.THEY REALLY ARE.ESPECIALLY FOOD SERVICE.WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE KIDSGET THE FOOD THEY NEED BUT WEALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE OURFOLKS ARE SAFE."AGAIN, THAT FOOD DISTRIBUTIONCENTER AT DESERT PINES HIGHSCHOOL HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN.CCSD SAYS THE SITE WILL BE DEEPCLEANED AND IS EXPECTED TOREOPEN, ALTHOUGH WE DON'T KNOWWHEN THAT WILL BE.JK, 13 ACTION NEWS.THE CLOSEST SCHOOL TO DESERTPINES....