The U.S. Postal Service confirmed Tuesday that an employee at the Capital Station Post Office on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh recently tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Few details about the infection were provided by postal officials in an emailed response to Policy Watch questions, so it was unclear whether the infected employee had contact with postal service customers.
It was also unclear how long the employee worked at the Capital Station location before the positive test, or whether other employees there have been tested.
“At this time, we believe exposure risk for other employees at the Capital Station facility is low, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health department official,” Philip Bogenberger, the Charlotte-based spokesman for the Postal Service who confirmed the positive test.
Bogenberger noted that the CDC and the World Health Organization have indicated there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 is spread through mail. He said that position is supported by the U.S. Surgeon General and the Director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases.
After the positive test, Bogenberger said Capital Station was disinfected using “current cleaning protocols.” Capital Station is closed on Sundays.