COVID closes city Fire Marshal’s office

BRIDGEPORT — The Fire Marshal’s office has become the latest departmentt of city government affected by coronavirus diagnoses or possible infections.

Mayor Joe Ganim’s spokesperson announced Friday the Fire Marshal’s office at City Hall, 45 Lyon Terrace, was closed because “employees are exhibiting signs of COVID-19” and are being tested for the illness.

“Onsite inspections will be postponed while available fire marshals that were not impacted will work remotely on ‘life safety’ issues,” White wrote.

The department’s duties range from safety inspections to investigating the cause of fires.

As COVID-19 cases spike in Bridgeport and around the state, more and more of the city’s workforce has been impacted.

Health Director Lisa Morrissey is out sick after a member of her household tested positive. She did not return a request for comment about her condition.

Also City Council President Aidee Nieves has been quarantining after a family member fell ill.

In late October, the city’s communicable disease clinic, whose staff provide testing for sexually transmitted diseases, was closed for two weeks after two employees were diagnosed with coronavirus.

Government buildings were shut down for several weeks after the pandemic struck Connecticut in midMarch, but gradually reopened during the spring and summer when the case numbers were low. Then in early November, Ganim again reduced workforce capacity in many offices to try and stop the spread.

Chief Administrative Officer Janene Hawkins in the memorandum announcing the more limited capacity stated that those workers who have tested positive “are contracting COVID outside the workplace and have jeopardized the safety and wellbeing of the entire workforce. ... We are all in this together and, simply put, our lives are depending one each of us to do our part to ensure the safety of everyone.”