Las Cruces City Hall worker becomes 2nd city employee to contract virus

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — ABC-7 confirmed an employee working at Las Cruces city hall tested positive for Covid-19 and has been isolated for eight days.

Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima said he was made aware of the situation Thursday, adding that the area where the employee works has been disinfected. All employees who came in contact with the one who tested positive are being tested, he said.

ABC-7 asked the mayor if the public should have been notified as they are still coming into the building, mainly to make utility payments.

“If we knew 100% that it existed or was a result of City Hall, absolutely,” said Mayor Miyagishima “But when there’s that possibility of doubt that it could have come from some place else, because if it did come from City Hall then I’m just going to suggest that you would see a lot more employees possibly affected. ” 

Miyagishima said that it’s not required for the city's elected officials to be alerted when an employee tests positive.

“As long as the precautions were taken and they felt that this was adequate, I don’t want to second guess management,” he said.

The employee at City Hall, and transit employee who previously tested positive, are the only two city workers who have contracted the virus during the pandemic.