In what is believed to be the first confirmed case of coronavirus in a major downtown office building, the owners of Prudential Plaza are informing tenants that an employee who works at the property tested positive yesterday.
One Prudential Plaza owner Sterling Bay said in statement today the employee has been isolated and has not returned to the building since the diagnosis. Building tenants have been advised to stay home if they feel ill and to contact a health professional if they experience symptoms.
The building will stay open, but tenants are encouraged to discuss the logistics of work-from-home programs if they feel it’s necessary, according to a letter tenants were sent yesterday.
"We will continue to follow all cleaning and disinfection recommendations put forth by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and World Health Organization and have been aggressively cleaning all high-touch areas throughout the building,” the letter says.
Michael Cornicelli, executive vice president at the Building Owners & Managers Association of Chicago, said he is unaware of any other Chicago office building where a person who has tested positive for the coronavirus works.
Shutting down an office building due to the virus would be a “dramatic solution,” he said. To minimize the risk for now, the trade group is advising office landlords to recommend that their tenants encourage employees to work from home. BOMA is also recommending that members clean their buildings thoroughly, with a focus on surfaces that people touch, to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.
“Most managers that we have discussed this with would agree with the process at Prudential Plaza,” Cornicelli said.
There would be no reason to close the building as long as proper procedures are being followed, said Dr. Michael Ison, an infectious disease specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. That includes disinfecting surfaces and encouraging hand washing. It’s on tenants to make decisions about remote work, he said.
READ MORE: Crain's complete coronavirus coverage
The focus should be on promoting good hand hygiene among tenants, including making sure there are hand sanitizer dispensers by doors, elevators and other areas people frequent like restaurants, Ison said.
The building will also need to be diligent about cleaning public spaces, particularly hard surfaces like doorknobs and elevator buttons, as well as surfaces people lean up against like elevator railings, Ison added.
The Chicago Department of Public Health and Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The story has been corrected to note which Pru Plaza building the employee worked in.
Copyright 2020, Crain's Chicago Business, Crain Communications Inc.
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