A Wahiawa Center for Community Health medical assistant tested positive for COVID-19, the center announced today.

The employee tested positive Wednesday and has been in quarantine since then. Wahiawa Health said in a news release today that it was notified Friday.

Since the center has employed social distancing and other COVID-19 protocol recommendations, the employee did not have any contact with any other employees or any patients as was determined by internal contract tracing, the health center said in a news release.

“It appears that the employee contracted COVID-19 through community spread,” Wahiawa Health said.

A deep biohazard cleaning was conducted after hours at Wahiawa Health Friday night.

“We are working with DOH as it investigates this case,” the health center said. “It is our understanding that DOH will be contacting the families of the employee who tested positive as well as others that may have been exposed.”

Wahiawa Health remains open and is scheduling telehealth, telephone visits and selected in-person visits following strict CDC and DOH guidelines.

All staff, patients and visitors must wear a facemask, practice social distancing and have their temperature taken. Patient visits are staggered and exam rooms are sanitized after each patient visit. Public areas are disinfected frequently throughout the day. All staff are provided personal protective equipment based on CDC guidelines.

Wahiawa and surrounding communities have not received community COVID-19 testing, so Wahiawa Health, with the support of the city and the mayor, will offer drive-thru testing at the health center by the end of August, which will be announced at wahiawahealth.org.