An election supervisor in Missouri who reportedly worked their shift after knowingly testing positive for COVID-19 has died.
St. Charles County officials said Thursday that the unidentified election judge supervisor tested positive Oct. 30 and did not quarantine for the standard 2-week period, NBC reported. The cause of death is not clear, the report continued.
The election supervisor was advised to isolate by the lab that administered the test, but the supervisor worked their shift at the Blanchette Park Memorial Hall polling site, according to NBC. Nearly 2,000 voters cast ballots at the site. Officials said poll workers were advised to get tested, but they do not think voters will be seen as close contacts, the report added. (RELATED: CDC Says People With COVID-19 Can Break Quarantine To Vote)
A Missouri elections supervisor who knew they tested positive for the coronavirus and still worked at a polling site on Election Day has died. https://t.co/DGDZUdiVXq
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 5, 2020
St. Charles County Director of Elections Kurt Bahr said workers were required to wear the proper protective gear, and voters were separated from poll workers by dividers, NBC reported. The elections official was reportedly not in close contact with voters.
St. Charles County Director of Public Health Demetrius Cianci-Chapman asked county residents to “be responsible to others in the community” if they test positive for the virus.
“There is no more important duty than protecting the health of our families, friends and those who reside in the community with us,” Cianci-Chapman said, according to NBC.
More than 2,800 new COVID-cases were reported in Missouri Nov. 5, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. There have been 3,099 reported deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.