March 9, 2020 – On March 7, 2020, a Trump Town Hall event was held at the Community Center last Saturday. The event consisted of two ballrooms holding up to 200 people in attendance, including three U.S. Congressmen. After the event, Congressman Paul Gosar (4th Congressional District) self-imposed himself in a quarantine after learning he had come into contact with an individual who had confirmed COVID-19 virus at a Nashville conference in late February.
“I have been informed that during the CPAC conference members of my staff and I came into contact with an individual who has since tested positive for, and is hospitalized for, COVID-19. I was with the individual for an extended period of time, and we shook hands several times,” Gosar said in the statement.
“I am not currently experiencing any symptoms, nor is any member of my staff. However, in order to prevent any potential transmission, I will remain at my home in Arizona until the conclusion of the 14-day period following my interaction with this individual. Additionally, out of an abundance of caution, I am closing my office in Washington, D.C. for the week and my team will follow the previously approved tele-commute plan.
“Congressman Gosar is not experiencing any symptoms, nor is any member of our staff,” Spokesperson Ben Goldey reiterated. “The CDC does not recommend getting tested without the appearance of symptoms.”
In the event that Congressman Gosar later tests positive for COVID-19 virus, the Town’s protocol will be to inform our employees who would have been at the event and notify Maricopa County Health Department with the name of the event organizer. This would allow the County Health officials to find out the names of the 200 or so people (including employees) at the event so they can conduct follow up and notification with these individuals.
As part of the Town’s plans to address COVID-19, the Fountain Hills Community Center operations support staff have taken extra precautions in following best practices to sanitize the Community Center. This includes utilizing a sanitizing cleaning solution to wipe down surfaces, restrooms, door handles, tabletops, conference tables, etc. The Town also has ordered additional Purell hand sanitizing stations for the Community Center and the Town Hall, so visitors and employees can easily sanitize their hands entering and leaving the facilities and while utilizing the meeting rooms and offices in the facilities.