A positive COVID-19 test among the staff at the Department of Labor and Industrial Relation's call center has caused it to shut down Thursday, March 25.
The general call queue at DLIR's Hawaii Convention Center call center is unavailable Thursday and anticipates reopening on Monday, March 29--its next business day, the department said. The employee tested positive on Wednesday.
The department said it sent 85 employees home, started contact tracing, and scheduled deep cleaning.
"This is yet another reminder that we're still in the midst of the pandemic, and we have to ensure the safety of our public servants who continue to provide critical services," DLIR Director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio said.
People with calls regarding the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, employers, and those reporting fraud or identity theft may still call for assistance.
"The Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division (HIOSH) has previously undertaken an assessment of the affected workplace and found that the Unemployment Insurance Division already had preventative measures and procedures in place to respond to any workplace hazard associate with the COVID-19 Pandemic," the department said.
