For the second time the Sedona Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center in Uptown closed its doors following an employee’s positive test for COVID-19.
The chamber announced the closing on Friday, Nov. 13.
“Our employee decided to get tested due to a family member’s illness here in Sedona. He was not experiencing symptoms,” Michelle Conway, interim chamber president and CEO, said. “We are closing the visitor center out of an abundance of caution and requiring the staff and volunteers who worked with the employee at the center to be tested.”
In all, 16 staff members and volunteers were set to be tested.
“We need enough people to work the visitor center, so the reopen is all dependent on how soon the negative test results come back,” Conway said on Monday, Nov. 16. A cleaning company was at the visitor center over the weekend to do a thorough cleaning.
“Our director and manager of the Visitor Center both received negative COVID-19 test results today, Nov. 17,” Conway said Tuesday. “With this good news, along with the deep cleaning and disinfecting that has taken place since our closure, the director and manager will reopen the Visitor Center Wednesday, Nov. 18, greeting visitors with tables set up at the door of both entrances.”
Those tables will be staffed by volunteers at its two entrances. Visitors do not enter the building and do not generally encounter administrative staff. The volunteers working the tables are masked, wear gloves and practice social distancing at all times.
This is the second time the visitor center has closed since reopening its doors following Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s stay-at-home suggestion in the spring. On June 25 one of the center’s employees tested positive for COVID-19. That particular staff member worked mainly at the visitor center but did not have contact with any visitors between the employee’s exposure in Phoenix on June 13 and self-quarantining on June 19.
Protocols were in place at the visitor center, such as limiting the number of people allowed inside, erecting Plexiglass shields to separate visitors and employees, making hand sanitizer available, requiring masks and cleaning surfaces.
“We view the closure and the required testing as part of the Sedona|Safe.Cean.Ready commitment,” Conway said. “We cannot be too careful.”
The visitor center operated virtually during the temporary closure, keeping regular business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. Services were offered via online web chat, telephone and email.
Conway added that personnel and operations at the Chamber of Commerce’s Sunset Drive offices were not affected by the visitor center closure.
