COVID-19 outbreak forces Coweta County animal shelter, prison to shut down

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - A Coweta County animal shelter was closed after two employees tested positive for COVID-19.

County officials said they're getting the word out to the public as well who might have come in contact with the shelter workers.

Coweta County officials said it was actually the shelter manager who was hospitalized with symptoms. Then a desk employee tested positive for the virus.

The animals are being cared for, fed, and given water. But the doors of the Coweta Animal Services are closed to the public until officials here can access how far the virus has spread among county workers, as well as state prison inmates next door, who work part-time at the shelter.

Officials said the inmates are now in quarantine at the Coweta County prison. These are state inmates but it is a county facility. The precaution is to prevent the further spread of the virus to the jail population.

County officials are also working to contact anyone in the public who may have had close contact with the infected employees.

Officials are unsure if the virus broke out at the shelter or was brought in but the public.

They will do further testing of employees this week.

Officials said if all goes well with the testing later in the week, they hope to have the shelter back open by Monday.