An employee at the Alabama Department of Public Health who works in the laboratory has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a press release.

The employee had no interaction with the public and was not working on testing for COVID-19, according to the announcement. The employee was sent home and those who interacted with them are also in isolation. The department is having the lab throughly cleaned.

This is the first case of COVID-19 among an employee worked at the Alabama Department of Public Health. The department has encouraged other employees to work from home and has increased the frequency of cleaning.

The Alabama Department of Public Health has led the state’s effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Its Bureau of Clinical Laboratories was the first in the state to offer testing for the virus.