Local restaurant employee who tested positive for COVID, claims management has yet to shutdown restaurant

***Editors note: The restaurant employee in this story has asked to remain anonymous***

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — Businesses and the people who work for them are discovering daily challenges when it comes to COVID-19 testing and when to work.

One employee at a local restaurant said she was told to work when she should have been in quarantine.

The restaurant employee said she tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

Prior to that, she said she informed her manager she was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

And claims she was told to work because she didn’t have a high temperature.

“I had my temperature taken. I didn’t have a fever so they didn’t send me home,” said the employee.

The employee says she then got tested and continued to work while waiting for her results.

She said she felt physically better as the days went on, then news of her results took her by storm.

“So then the hospital calls me and was like, yes has anyone have called you regarding your COVID results?’ And I was like ‘no ma’am.’ And they were like ‘OK, well you did test positive. And I just like kinda dropped to my knees and covered my mouth and I was like ‘oh my gosh.”

And once she got her results, she immediately went into quarantine.

But the conversations with her management is what caught her off guard.

“I had got a phone call from my manager later that day talking about why didn’t you tell us that you were sick and all of this and such. And I was like I did tell you that I was sick. I told you I was sick the night before, and I needed you to take my temperature and you said I wasn’t running a temperature and you was like no you’re fine.”

And now, Amy Taylor, whose son and brother in law have worked alongside the infected employee, is hoping the restaurant takes action to disinfect the restaurant.

“They have yet to close down and deep clean,” said Taylor.

Talyor said this has been a trickle-down effect for her entire family.

“My entire family had to be tested for COVID-19,” said Taylor. “On the 16th we went to the free testing at the soccer complex, we were lucky to get an appointment. Our paperwork states that we are to self-isolate, we are to stay home, we are not to go to work. My husband and I are not allowed to return to work until we can provide them with negative test results.”

WCBI has reached out to the restaurant’s corporate team for comment but has yet to hear back.

Mayor Robert Smith is also looking into this as well.