Five people were quarantined Tuesday after they learned that their coworker at a Chula Vista AT&T store tested positive for COVID-19.

Even though the entire situation unfolded in San Diego County early this week, public health officials insisted during a news conference Thursday that the region still has not tallied its first novel coronavirus case. That because the AT&T employee, who got sick after traveling to Italy, lives in Orange County.

The individual returned to work on Monday but, by all accounts, didn’t stay long at Chula Vista’s 555 Broadway AT&T location.

“That person was not feeling well,” said Dr. Nick Yphantides, the county’s chief medical officer. “That person returned home to Orange County and, based on the history of travel, and based on their symptomatology, they were tested in Orange County and were confirmed to be a COVID case.”


AT&T temporarily closed five other stores across San Diego County for precautionary cleaning on Wednesday, including locations in Escondido, San Marcos, Oceanside, National City and Vista. All, said AT&T spokesman Fletcher Cook, were reopened Thursday.

“They closed six stores for cleaning, but the employee only worked at one, and the five additional stores were closed in an abundance of caution,” Cook said. “The employees who did interact with this individual were self-quarantined for a 14-day period.”

× An AT&T employee at the Chula Vista store is under quarantine for coronavirus, and the company closed six stores for cleaning as a precaution, company officials said.

Meanwhile, local health systems continued doing what they can to be ready if and when the virus begins being transmitted from person to person in San Diego County. On Thursday, Scripps Health announced that it is the first local health system to start actively screening visitors to its hospitals for COVID symptoms. Scripps and others were already operating under visitation rules that bar kids younger than 13 or 14 from entering their facilities.


Whether or not the person who tested positive is officially considered a local case or not, one thing is clear: He or she would never have made it in to work Monday had they traveled to China instead of Italy.

That’s because the federal government notifies the local health department of every returning traveler from China and each is required to undergo a two-week home quarantine before they can return to their normal schedules.

But local health departments aren’t being notified of returnees from other places, such as Italy, South Korea, Iran and Japan, where infections are spreading rapidly.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not respond Thursday when asked by email whether the Orange County case means that the home quarantine strategy should be broadened to include countries other than China.


At the press conference Thursday, health, business and government officials described how they are working across sectors to prevent the spread of coronavirus in public spaces. That includes efforts to stem transmission at schools, businesses, healthcare centers, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, and among homeless populations.

“We are all working together as one region,” San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox said.

As of Thursday morning, there were over 95,000 cases, and 3,250 deaths worldwide, County Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten said. In the U.S., there have been 158 cases and 11 deaths, she said. Authorities said that while San Diego County has not had a local coronavirus case, it is a matter of time before infections emerge in the county.

“We feel it is only a matter of time before we see cases here in San Diego,” Wooten said. “Therefore, the time to prepare is now.”


Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Jaymie Bradford said businesses should check travel advisories and sanitize work spaces to reduce transmission of the virus. But they should also make ready for an eventual outbreak by preparing for employee absences or remote work, cross-training employees to do their colleagues’ jobs and establishing communication plans.

“We encourage our members to be as flexible as possible with sick leave policies,” she said.

County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher made sure to address the elephant in the room: Situations where workers feel they must go to work, even if they’re sick, because they fear losing their job, or financial hardship, if they stay home. Fletcher pleaded with businesses to go the extra mile in helping their workers feel comfortable not coming in.

“We need you to help facilitate employees who feel sick having the opportunity and availability to stay home,” Fletcher said. “We don’t want individuals to be faced with the situation where they feel like they have flu-like symptoms but in order to pay the rent, they feel like they have to go to work.”


The County Office of Education is working with public, private and charter schools and preschools to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission, but do not anticipate imminent closures, said San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Paul Gothold.

“Our charge under state law is to remain open as long as it is safe for our students and staff, and we will stay open as long as it is to do so,” he said.

Likewise, Wooten said the county is not calling for cancellation of conferences or other large events. Wooten said she’s sticking with her previous statements that she needs to see local transmission of coronavirus in San Diego County before she would consider ordering limits on large public gatherings such as the CRSSD Festival, an electronic music concert scheduled for this weekend at Waterfront Park next to the county administration building.

The county is working with faith-based groups, nonprofits and other community organizations to prevent spread of the virus among homeless communities, Fletcher said.


“We’re doing everything possible to protect the unsheltered populations,” he said.

Officials also said San Diego County residents should prepare for a pandemic as they would for other emergencies, by securing enough food, water, medication and other essentials to last two weeks or more.