UPDATE: Results for the Fairbanks Fire Department employee who was tested for the COVID 19 virus came back negative.

Employees that were sent home from the Department yesterday are cleared to return to work.

The City will still be asking employees returning from out-of-state to self-quarantine.

The City of Fairbanks has released the following press release about a possible case of COVID-19 in a Fairbanks Fire Department employee:

This [Friday] afternoon, a City of Fairbanks Fire Department employee who recently traveled out of state became sick at work. This employee was displaying some of the symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19 and has recently returned from an area that has been hit hard with the virus. The employee is being tested for COVID-19 and we will know the results tomorrow [Saturday]. In an abundance of caution, the entire shift has been sent home to be quarantined until the results are known, the department will be undergoing extra cleaning, and mutual aid departments will be covering our fire/EMS calls until we get other FFD personnel in to cover the shift. Fairbanks Memorial Hospital is working with us to expedite the testing process.

While we hope that our employee will test negative for the virus, we are attempting to be extra careful in this situation as FFD first responders regularly come in contact with those most vulnerable in our community.

Effective immediately, City of Fairbanks employees returning from out-of-state will be asked to remain in quarantine for fourteen days after their return.

We would like to urge the public to utilize the City of Fairbanks website

or call for assistance by phone as much as possible to reduce the need to come into City buildings, including City Hall and the Fairbanks Police Department.

Thank you to all of our Fairbanks area mutual aid agencies and FMH for your assistance, and thank you to our dedicated employees that will be covering shifts for their co-workers."