Two employees of Southern Methodist University have tested positive for COVID-19 and are both in self-isolation, the university said in two separate letters to faculty and staff.
The first employee, who works in Annette Caldwell Simmons Hall, was last on campus June 2, according to a June 9 letter signed by Sheri Starkey, SMU's associate vice president and chief human resources officer.
The second employee to test positive for the coronavirus works in the Blanton Student Services Building and last worked on campus Friday, according to a Sunday letter from Starkey.
Both employees reported that they did not have any close contact with anyone while on campus, according to SMU.
The university said people who had been in close contact would have been notified. SMU is cleaning and sanitizing the area where the employees had been.
In late May, university administrators said SMU's full workforce should plan to go back to campus June 1 ahead of students returning for the second summer term, which is scheduled to begin July 6. Some employees returned earlier.
In a separate notice in early June, SMU President R. Gerald Turner confirmed that on-campus classes for the fall semester would resume August 24 with online-only courses resuming after Thanksgiving.
On its blog, SMU said all employees are encouraged to wear face coverings "to the greatest extent possible" when they are in public spaces on campus, but don't need to do so if the employee is alone in their office.
Employees are required to conduct a daily self-screening to ensure they do not have the symptoms of the coronavirus, according to guidance from the school.
*Map locations are approximate, central locations for the city and are not meant to indicate where actual infected people live.
