Dr. Theresa Cullen, director of the Pima County Health Department, sits for an interview with Arizona 360 on July 8, 2020.
This story may be updated.
Pima County Health Director Theresa Cullen tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 15 as part of what officials say is a larger outbreak at the department's headquarters on East Ajo Way, according to a statement released Wednesday.
The statement said the outbreak involved 11 employees, and those with close contact have been advised to get tested and asked to isolate at home. Other staff are being moved to alternative work locations or working remotely while the building is sanitized. The outbreak comes despite the requirement that department employees who work on site wear masks and stay home when sick, the statement said.
The statement did not identify a source of the outbreak. It said demonstrators protesting COVID-19 restrictions on Dec. 10 entered the building and had contact with staff, complicating the contact tracing efforts. The statement confirmed that there was at least one positive case in the department before that protest.
Chief Medical Officer Francisco Garcia said the positive test result for Cullen only underlines how severe the rate of community transmission has become in the county.
"The virus can get into your homes and places of work any number of ways no matter how vigilant you are being with your precautions," Garcia said.
Garcia said the outbreak will not significantly compromise the department's ability to fulfill its duties.
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