HORRY COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – A second nutrition services employee with Horry County Schools has tested positive for COVID-19.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) notified the district on April 8 that a nutrition services employee who worked at South Conway Elementary “during the school closure” tested positive for the virus,” HCS spokesperson Lisa Bourcier says.

The employee’s last day was March 27, Bourcier also says. “The employee was pre-screened by the school nurse, which is done daily, Friday, March 27th, and did not present any symptoms. Horry County Schools cannot share any additional information about the employee and cannot legally disclose the employee’s health condition.”

The South Conway Elementary School meal site will remain open. The meal site and busses “will receive additional cleaning and disinfection beyond what is done on a daily basis.”

“After consultation with SC DHEC, the site will remain open due to the amount of time the employee has not been in contact with other employees. According to SC DHEC, the amount of time between the employee’s positive test result and the employee’s last day of reporting to work indicate there is no impact on other employees working at the feeding site,” Bourcier adds. “We want to assure our staff and all of our stakeholders that our number one priority is the health and well-being of our students and employees. Employees are pre-screened by nursing staff each day prior to beginning work, and all food preparation surfaces and equipment are decontaminated daily. Standards for handling food products are followed in the preparation of student grab-and-go meals. Single-service items are used in many of our food service settings to avoid any contact concerns.”

On Wednesday, News13 reported a nutrition services employee who worked at Socastee Elementary School as part of the school district’s free meals program had tested positive for the virus. In a statement, HCS said that worker did not show any symptoms when pre-screened while last working on Thursday, Apr. 2. HCS said it has told employees who had direct contact with the infected worker to self-quarantine for 14 days. Families who received meals at the Socastee Elementary School meal site will now pick up food at Socastee High School.

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