CBS News Discloses That a Third Staffer Has Tested Positive for Coronavirus

"Yesterday was a day where we were tested," CBS News president Susan Zirinsky told employees in a memo Thursday.

CBS News management, which said Wednesday that two New York-based employees have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, said in a memo Thursday that a third employee has now tested positive.

"We now have a third confirmed case of an employee testing positive for the virus," network president Susan Zirinsky said in the memo, which was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. "That person had been working with the other two employees who had previously tested positive. Each person has provided a detailed list of everyone they have come into contact with over the last few weeks."

Zirinsky said that the CBS News human resources team "continue to reach out to all of those named who came into direct contact with our three employees." She added, "We are making decisions on the broadcasts with advice from the top senior officials from the NY State Board of Health."

ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish "was front and center taking a strong role in the plans across every division," Zirinsky said. "First and foremost, our mission is to protect the health and well-being of our staff."

On Wednesday, Zirinsky told staffers to work from home while two company buildings in New York City are cleaned and disinfected.

"Yesterday was a day where we were tested," Zirinsky said in the Thursday memo. "The entire news organization pivoted into a coronavirus battle plan that our leadership team developed and was put in place by so many of you. There were multiple options for action. We reacted as fast as we could along with our ViacomCBS family."

She also provided an update on the state of the New York buildings: "As we speak, the power cleaners are at work in the NY Broadcast Center. We will advise as things progress, and we will let you know when our broadcasts, newsgathering operations and digital teams can move back into the Broadcast Center. We will update with all information as it becomes available, we are continuing to monitor and utilize all resources available. I encourage all of you to take advantage of the resources below."