Two senior Palm Beach County elected officials have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks and State Attorney Dave Aronberg both sent out separate announcements to the public on the issue Monday, July 13. Both say they have mild cases of the virus and are working from home.
Jacks confirmed that she has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and is at home, following Florida Health Department guidelines by self-quarantining.
All staff members in her office have been notified and those who have had recent interactions with her are being tested.
“After experiencing minor symptoms late last week, I was tested and informed on Monday, July 13 that I have tested positive for COVID-19,” Jacks said. “I’ve been at home since taking the test on Thursday, July 9, and I am working by phone and computer, self-isolating. I am in regular contact with my staff in order to continue to manage the operations of my office.”
The Property Appraiser’s Office has temporarily closed the administration department located on the fifth floor of the Palm Beach County Governmental Center, along with the office’s main reception area. All staff who work in this department were notified immediately and advised to go home until further notice.
The office is taking swift measures to mitigate the spread of the virus, working with Palm Beach County Facilities to thoroughly sanitize all affected areas.
Aronberg released a statement regarding his diagnosis on Monday:
Please take this pandemic seriously, as it continues to spread like wildfire. I know this personally, because I just tested positive for COVID-19. l am one of the fortunate ones, as I have relatively mild symptoms and can continue to work a normal schedule from home while quarantined. Our management team has been following office protocol to reach out to anyone who has had contact with me.
Although I have tried to be vigilant about wearing a mask, social distancing and hand washing, I am often out in public, and I live in a building with shared elevators. My diagnosis has made me more motivated than ever to continue imploring people to wear a mask, as it is about protecting others. It’s about loving our neighbors as ourselves.
I also urge everyone to get tested, even If you have no symptoms. Many people who spread this virus are asymptomatic.
As state attorney, I am dedicated to protecting the safety of our community, and to ensure that our 350 employees have a healthy environment to work. We are all in this together, and we will get through this by looking after one another.
