Fulton County election officials report COVID-19 outbreak at elections warehouse

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Fulton County Election Officials said Thursday that there has been an outbreak of COVID-19 at an election storage warehouse in Atlanta.

Officials said that 13 election workers out of 60 have tested positive for the virus at the Elections Preparation Center on English Street. The facility stores voting machines, printers and other poll equipment.

Officials said two people tested positive Tuesday and 11 more cases were identified Wednesday.

Channel 2′s Tom Regan was in Fulton County, where officials said the warehouse space will be deep-cleaned and that alternative work space will be found to allow workers to distance themselves.

Dr. Lynn Paxton with the Fulton County Board of Health said the workers will also be tested starting tomorrow.

“We are doing rapid testing,” Paxton said. “It will start as of tomorrow for everyone, and they will receive a rapid test at the beginning of the day.”

SPECIAL SECTION: Election 2020

Elections officials said the workers have no contact with voters and the outbreak will not affect early voting.

Last spring, a Fulton County election worker died of the virus. Beverly Walker, 62, died on April 15 from COVID-19 after working to process absentee ballot applications.

Another employee was hospitalized but recovered.

Earlier this week, some Fulton County voters stood in line waited hours to cast their ballots, but the situation has improved at many polling places in the county.

“My husband waited in a three-hour line Monday,” Kim Barlett said. “We had not line here. Five minutes.”

"Easy peasy,' voter Tess Dean said. “Walked right in.”

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