WESTON — An employee at the William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital in Weston has tested positive for COVID-19, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced in a press release Friday.

The positive test result was first announced by Governor Jim Justice at his daily coronavirus press briefing and soon followed up with a new release by the DHHR.

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) today confirmed that a health service worker at William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital in Weston, W. Va. tested positive for COVID-19,” the release states.

The last day the individual worked was April 17, 2020.

In coordination with the local health department, DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health was notified by the patient’s health care provider. Working through the local health department, measures were already in place to reduce the spread among other employees and patients, the release says.

“Our state hospitals have prepared for this situation and were ready to handle it,” said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. “Through advance planning and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measures to reduce the likelihood of spread were already being practiced and in place at Sharpe Hospital.”