WELD — Skoolhouse Variety store closed Thursday after the owners learned the husband of an employee tested positive for COVID-19 the day before.
The store is owned by Kevin and Holly Cochran. Their daughter, Lila Haynes, works for them, and her husband, Brian Haynes, has the virus.
Kevin’s mother, Town Clerk Carol Cochran, sent an email from him Thursday that said, “Very unexpectedly, it was brought to our attention the morning of Nov. 11 that Brian Haynes had tested positive for COVID-19. As most know, Lila Haynes, our daughter and wife of Brian, works for us full time. We immediately closed the store and made appointments for ourselves and other employees to get tested.”
According to the email, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention contacted the Hayneses to trace the virus and give instructions on how to proceed. Brian, Lila and the children are to remain quarantined in their home. Brian’s quarantine is up Nov. 18. Lila and their two children will remain quarantined for two weeks after Nov. 18 to ensure they do not have the virus. She will not return to work until at least Dec. 2. Brian has very mild symptoms and his wife and children are showing no signs of infection.
While the CDC said the closure was not necessary because there hadn’t been extended exposure with Brian — 15 minutes or more with no masks and within 6 feet — the owners felt it prudent to remain closed until results of COVID testing were received to ensure the safety of patrons and their families.
A negative test for one employee has been received and results for the Cochrans are pending.
In a phone interview Thursday night, Brian Haynes, who works for the Maine Department of Transportation, said he hasn’t been able to figure out where he contracted the coronavirus.
“I have no idea,” he said. “No one I was in contact with said they were feeling sick or anything.”
Haynes said he began feeling ill with body aches and a sore throat Sunday night.
“Monday I had a slight fever and decided I better get tested,” he added.
He said he is feeling much better,
“I don’t have a fever. I am fatigued, still have a bit of a cough,” he said. “The rest of the family is feeling fine.”
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.