Summer meal distribution continues after Lakewood Elementary staffer tests positive for coronavirus

Summer meal distribution continues after Lakewood Elementary staffer tests positive for coronavirus

At her home in tennessee.

We are hearing from huntsville city schools -- less than 24 hours after a district employee tested positive for coronavirus.

The district says the employee is associated with lakewood elementary school -- where the summer meal service program is held.

Huntsville city schools did not stop distributing meals today-- and instead says it's still safe for parents to stop by.

Waay 31's casey albritton is live at lakewood elementary.

She has more on why the district says it's safe to continue the meal program.

Casey?

I'm standing in front of the cafeteria, where the program staff make the meals-- the director of the program tells me the employee only had contact with the other side of the school-- far away from where i'm standing.

He also says the employee never had any contact with the program staff member henry ward/ director "we did take steps to make sure the entire building was cleaned and sanitized for our employees to go back into."

Summer meal service program director, henry ward, says as soon as the district learned an employee tested positive late monday night.

The district said a team went to lakewood elementary school and spent hours disinfecting overnight.

Henry ward/ director "there's a specific chemical and machine that is used in this process.

I know it uses high temperature and steam."

Lyle lee goes to lakewood elementary school every day to pick up meals and deliver them to parents who don't have time in their schedule to pick food up themselves.

Lyle lee/ parent "that's why we do it, to love people, to give them hope, and to let them know they aren't alone."

Lee says he was getting ready to start his normal meal-delivery routine when he heard about the coronavirus case.

Lyle lee/ parent "the first notification i got on my phone this morning was from your app, the news app, telling me that lakewood had a staff member test positive."

The district says the staff member who tested positive is isolating...and ward says he's making sure staff members are taking as many precautions as they can.

That doesn't include testing any other workers.

"all wear personal protective equipment which includes masks, face shields and disposable gloves... and those are changed every time a task is changed."

Both lee and ward say the positive case isn't going to stop them from feeding families.

Henry ward/ director "we don't want to have any interruptions because we know when that occurs, then there's a good risk that one of our huntsville community members is not getting meals."

Lyle lee/ parent "i feel comfortable, i feel confident, and i'm trusting that they did what needed to be done."

Meals will continue to be served to families eleven am to two p-m monday through fridays.

Live in huntsville, casey albritton, waay