COVID-19 temperature checks return to the NC General Assembly following complaint
Temperature checks have returned to the Legislative building following a complaint from the Senate Democratic Caucus.
The Senate Democratic Caucus sent a letter this week to Paul Coble, legislative services officer, and Senate President Pro tem Phil Berger questioning the lack of social distancing, working hand sanitizer stations and masks in the General Assembly.
They also asked why the temperature checks — just one screening tool for COVID-19 — had stopped. They started this spring after a cafeteria employee at the legislative building was diagnosed with the coronavirus following a shift.
Wednesday, Coble said the screenings would resume.
“I made the decision to cease the temperature checks and move to a nurse-based model of care due to the fact that we have not had a single case of an elevated temperature reading during the past six weeks,” Coble wrote.
“However I can appreciate your concern that the procedure provided an extra feeling of safety,” Coble said. “Therefore, I have asked our nursing team to staff back up and work with our police officers to provide the temperature checks next week while the Senate and House are in session.”
Senate Democratic Caucus members released Coble’s reply to their letter in an email to reporters Wednesday.
In the letter, Coble said his efforts to keep the legislative office clean has added more than $1 million in expenses. He said has made efforts to have hand sanitizer available despite shortages and made personal protective equipment available on demand.
“We encouraged individuals to stay at home if they or a family member showed any symptoms and allowed staff members to work from home if possible,” Coble said. “While many of the cleaning and safety measures employed are not obvious to a casual observer, they are very effective.”
In the past week, Democrats in both chambers have called on their Republican colleagues to begin wearing masks. That includes Orange County Democrat Rep. Graig Meyer, whose daughter was diagnosed with COVID-19 after working at a Charlotte bar. He says he has not gone near her.
Meanwhile, Terry Van Duyn, an Asheville Democrat, wrote Coble an email June 11, about concerns over guidelines not being enforced. For example, Van Duyn said, the sergeant-at-arms don’t wear masks while distributing them.
Coble said Wednesday he has added electrostatic cleaners to help prepare spaces on a more expedient basis and has arranged for remote meetings.
He added he has no control over sergeant-at-arms and legislative staff members nor has control over social distancing.
North Carolina has reported more than 47,000 cases of COVID-19, more than 1,180 deaths and about 850 coronavirus-related hospitalizations, according to Wednesday’s data reported by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
