Dear Colleagues,

We have received confirmation that an MBL employee has tested positive for COVID-19. The individual works remotely. As such, there has been no close contact with others in the MBL community and contact tracing of other MBL employees is not necessary.

The individual is self-isolating in accordance with Massachusetts Department of Public Health and CDC protocols. Under state and federal health privacy laws, no further information about the individual is available. To date, six members of the MBL community have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

We urge all faculty and staff to remain vigilant about social distancing, wearing masks, and practicing proper hygiene. As cases rise in the community, we want to stress in particular the importance of keeping a social distance of 6 feet or greater. By following this guideline the requirement for any individual to be quarantined due to potential exposure will be minimized.

If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, such as a fever, chills, respiratory illness, aches or change in taste and smell, please stay home and get a COVID-19 test. Testing can be done either through your primary healthcare provider or at one of the testing sites located throughout the state.

If anyone has any questions or concerns, please contact Human Resources at hr@mbl.edu. In addition, information on COVID-19 guidance and policies are available on the COVID-19 Guidelines and Resources section of the intranet.

Sincerely,

Paul Speer
Chief Operating Officer