It’s been three days now since it was revealed that Minden Mayor Terry Gardner was diagnosed with COVID-19. In a memo providing more details about the situation, the Mayor’s Office stated, “Mayor Terry L. Gardner exhibited symptoms of the COVID-19 virus (low-grade fever) on Saturday night, July 4, 2020. The mayor’s primary care doctor’s office is not open on Sundays, so Mayor Gardner went to Emurgent Care and received a positive test for the COVID-19 virus.
On Monday, July 6, 2020, he followed up with a swab test at Premier Family Clinic to see if the virus was still present because the positive blood test taken at Emurgent Care can show positive for antibodies even though the virus may have already run its course and be out of your system. Premier Family Clinic notified Mayor Gardner on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, that his test was positive. Mayor Gardner is quarantined at home while he is recovering.”
While Gardner may be quarantining at home, that doesn’t mean that his role as the City’s Mayor has stopped. Rather, Gardner has simply been working from home, adapting just like many other Americans who are trying to find ways to keep things running while continuing to stay safe and preventing the spread of the virus.
“I’m not off from work. I’m working from home,” said Gardner.
“It’s business as usual. I’m working remotely here at the house. I can check all my emails. I’ve been working on the budget, still in the middle of that, and reviewing the April audit. I’m in contact with different departments. They call me if they need anything and everything is running really smoothly.”
Following the Centers for Disease Control Prevention’s return to work criteria, Gardner can return to work once his fever has resolved itself without the use of medication, and after providing two negative COVID-19 tests taken twenty-four hours apart.
“I will only get tested on Friday if I’m without a fever. Once I have two negative tests, I’ll come back to work. Well, I never really left work because I’ve been working at the house, I’ll just be back in the Mayor’s Office,” said Gardner.
At this point there have been no more confirmed cases of COVID-19 at City Hall.
In regards to the delayed City Council Meeting, Gardner stated that the most pressing item on the agenda, the road overlays, had been taken care of and they were granted an extension.
“One of the most critical things on the agenda was the road overlays. We’ve reached out to the engineer and to Benton & Brown, and they have extended the date, so we’re good as far as that,” said Gardner.
In the press release, the Mayor’s Office stated, “Mayor Gardner would like to thank everyone for their well wishes and prayers. He would also like to encourage all citizens to continue following safety guidelines regarding the COVID-19 virus. This virus continues to threaten the lives and health of our citizens.”