After deputy dies, NC sheriff urges people in courtrooms to get tested for COVID-19

While a North Carolina sheriff’s office is still mourning the unexpected death of one of its deputies, it is also urging people who may have come into contact with the deputy to get tested for COVID-19.

Deputy LaKiya Rouse died Wednesday “due to medical-related issues,” and was infected with coronavirus, according to a news release from the the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Danny Rogers saidothers may still be at risk.

On Monday, the deputy worked a shift as a bailiff at the Guilford County Courthouse in Greensboro, the release said. During that shift, they went into courtrooms 1C, 1D, 2B, and 2C.

The sheriff’s office strongly encourages anybody who was in one of those courtrooms on Monday to get tested for COVID-19, and be on the lookout for any symptoms.

“No medical official has linked” the deputy’s death to COVID-19, and it isn’t clear how they died.

But after checking into a hospital Tuesday when they started to feel ill, a mandatory check-in test revealed the deputy was infected with coronavirus, according to the sheriff’s office. He died the following day.

“Today, our team suffered a terrible loss,” Rogers said. “No words can adequately express our sadness.”

As of Wednesday, more than 4,000 North Carolinians have died due to COVID-19, and new cases are on the rise, the Raleigh News & Observer reported.

This story was originally published October 21, 2020 at 7:57 PM.