BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Seven Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
The employees work in a variety of administrative and clinical, patient-facing roles across five different work units, according to the hospital.
The cancer center, which employs 3,700 people, is one of the facilities set up across the state for Coronavirus laboratory testing. However, since the announcement that it would begin testing, procuring supplies has been a major issue. Roswell has been experiencing ongoing delays getting the right equipment, including reagents and swabs needed to perform the tests.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says 1,200 people have been tested across Erie County as of March 31st. Among them, 499 tested positive.
None of the seven Roswell employees has returned to work since receiving a positive test, according to the hospital. Officials are now reaching out to people who might have come in close contact with the employees before they fell ill.
The hospital has been taking even stricter measures to protect its patients from the spread of COVID-19 since mid-March. Everyone gets a basic health screening upon entering the building, and the hospital has put in place strict visitation policies to reduce the number of people in the buildings.
