PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is announcing that an employee of the vendor that runs Burlingame State Campground in Charlestown has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The employee is part of a three-person team that cleans restrooms at the campground from 3 PM to 11 PM. Because restrooms are closed to the public while being cleaned, the staff has little interaction with members of the public. All cleaning staff wear face coverings and gloves as required by the state's COVID prevention regulations.
Upon learning of the positive COVID-19 test result September 1, the employee notified the vendor, BA Services, which notified DEM. The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) contacted the employee, initiating contact tracing yesterday morning and finishing its investigation yesterday afternoon. The employee worked four days while symptomatic, last working August 31. The employee's two co-workers were tested yesterday and will remain out of work until the results come back. BA Services deep cleans all restrooms at Burlingame four times a day.
Before opening state campgrounds June 30, DEM assessed the layout of each campground and set limits on the number of campsites available for reservation to create more room between campsites so campers can maintain physical distancing from others. At Burlingame, the state's largest campground, DEM reduced capacity by 15%, closing 106 campsites out of a total of 720 for 614 sites now open. Also, DEM and BA Services worked closely implementing physical distancing guidelines at the permit office, camp store, and other locations to protect patrons and staff.
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