Thread by @HomelandKen

(1/x) Late yesterday, DHS learned that an employee at the @USCIS Seattle Field Office started exhibiting flu-like symptoms four days after visiting the nursing home in Kirkland, Washington that has seen numerous COVID-19 cases.

(2/x) The employee had been coming to work in the intervening days between the possible exposure (Feb. 22) and becoming ill (Feb. 26). In an effort to contain the
threat of potential spread & out of an abundance of caution, the @USCIS Seattle Field Office was ordered closed...

(3/x) The office closure is effective immediately & employees are being directed to telework if they are able. There are also @ICEgov, @CBP & @FPS employees at the same facility, and all of them have received the same instructions.

(4/x) As I mentioned, this decision stems from our employee visiting the Life Care
Center nursing home before it was known that residents there had contracted the
virus. When the employee began feeling ill, the employee followed procedure and
stayed at home.

(5/x) Once it was determined that patients in the facility were diagnosed with coronavirus (my understanding is he learned this from the news), the employee’s family self-quarantined and alerted employers and other relevant officials. The employee left work ill last Wed., Feb. 26

(6/x) … , and has not reported back to the office since. DHS takes the safety & health of our employees & applicants seriously. We're following CDC’s guidelines & encourage all employees and applicants to stay home if they are feeling ill or exhibiting any flu-like symptoms.