LAX medical screener tests positive for coronavirus

The Department of Homeland Security has reported that an LAX worker in charge of conducting passenger screenings tested positive for COVID-19.

The last time the employee was screening travellers for the illness was on Feb. 21 according to an international email acquired by NBC News.

The email referred to the person as a “contract medical screener” who worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The DHS statement said: “Late last night, DHS headquarters was alerted to a situation where one of our contracted medical professionals conducting screenings at LAX international airport had tested positive for COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. This individual is currently under self-quarantine at home with mild symptoms and under medical supervision. Their immediate family is also under home quarantine.”

“DHS is happy to report that this individual was highly trained and did everything right both on the job and when they began to feel sick,” the report continued. “We are told the individual wore all the correct protective equipment and took necessary protections on the job. Additionally, as soon as the individual began to feel sick, they self-quarantined, saw a physician, and reported to the appropriate authorities and officials.”

“At this time we do not know if this case is a result from community spread or through their work as a medical screener,” DHS said. “There have been no positive COVID-19 detections reported from the LAX screened travellers. This is an evolving situation that the CDC, DHS and county public health officials continue to examine.”