Financial expert and radio show host Dave Ramsey is keeping his offices open, even though a member of his staff tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The staffer works at Ramsey’s offices in Williamson County, Tennessee, where there have been 30 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Thursday afternoon. The only county with more confirmed COVID-19 cases in Tennessee is Davidson County, which has 75 cases.
“We know big gatherings are discouraged, but we are not shutting the company down,” Ramsay wrote in an email sent to staff on Sunday, reports Nashville Scene. In the email, Ramsay included the name of the staffer who tested positive, which the Scene redacted to protect the employee’s privacy. Ramsey said the offices were deep-cleaned following CDC standards before the employee tested positive.
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Later in the email, Ramsey said employees should speak to their direct managers if they have a “valid reason to stay home (newborn baby, elderly living with you, recently out of the country etc.).” He also said the school closings are “throwing a wrench in a lot of things.Work with your leader and spouse and make a good plan that works for everybody.” Ramsey also said if you have symptoms of COVID-19, “stay home and don’t bring your germs.”
“Please keep your wits about you. Stay calm,” Ramsey wrote. “Exhibit faith. You are ok. Ramsey is ok. We will continue to balance wisdom, common sense, against valid measures taken equal to a valid threat. No more no less.”
“People in the country are looking for hope and sanity,” Ramsey concluded. “We will give it to them. And also this plan will stay fluid as the weeks go on.”
Ramsey, an evangelical Christian who hosts the syndicated Dave Ramsey Show, has not commented on the Scene‘s report. Instead, he has been tweeting positive messages. His latest post has been met with a handful of people calling on him to close his offices though.
“Focus on closing your offices (with pay for employees) when one of your employees tests positive for coronavirus,” one person replied.
“Let your employees work from home, Dave,” another wrote.
“Shame on you for not creating a ‘work from home’ environment for your employees,” another wrote.
The number of confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases jumped on Thursday, reaching 154, according to the Tennessee Department of Health, up from 98 on Wednesday. There are 75 cases in Davidson County, which includes Nashville.
There are more than 237,000 cases around the world, according to Johns Hopkins University. There are more than 11,200 cases in the U.S., and the death toll reached 157.
On Monday, the White House released new guidelines for the next 15 days. This included avoiding gatherings of 10 or more people. Other guidelines include staying home if you feel sick, working from home if possible and staying home if you have a serious underlying health condition or are an older person.
Photo credit: Anna Webber/Getty Images for SiriusXM
