chicagotribune--2020-07-29--State Board of Elections’ Springfield office closes after staff member tests positive for COVID-19,

State Board of Elections’ Springfield office closes after staff member tests positive for COVID-19, several others show symptoms

The board was notified Sunday that a staff member was showing coronavirus symptoms and had been tested after coming into @ @ @ @ @ it , the Illinois Times first reported .
Test results came back positive Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ decided to close until at least Aug. 10 , according to Matt Dietrich , a @ @ @ @

The Illinois State Board of Elections closed its Springfield office Tuesday for about two weeks after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, according to an agency spokesperson.
The board was notified Sunday that a staff member was showing coronavirus symptoms and had been tested after coming into contact with someone infected with it, the Illinois Times first reported. Test results came back positive Tuesday, which is when the office decided to close until at least Aug. 10, according to Matt Dietrich, a state board spokesman.
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Several other staff members began showing symptoms Monday and Tuesday and have been tested, Dietrich said in an email.
“Pending those results, we are initiating procedures to have the office disinfected and thoroughly cleaned prior to staff returning to the office,” he said.
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The board, which oversees the administration of state election laws, was on the verge of returning to 100% staffing after undergoing a six-week phased reopening, according to Dietrich and a news release. The office had been back at 75% capacity for a little over a week.
Staffers were told not to report to the office Monday, though two board members met to accept the 25 objections filed against third-party candidates, Dietrich said. The board originally planned to review the objections Aug. 6.
“We don’t anticipate any problem administering the objection process as scheduled,” Dietrich said.
Chicago Tribune’s Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas contributed.
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com