The staff at least one Nexstar station is still reporting to work, despite the fact that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19.

One station had a person that works in the control room test positive and some are asking questions.

A source provided FTVLive with pictures of how the headsets are being handed off between newscasts.

The station is asking employees to put the headset and mic in a plastic bag. The bag then is supposed to be changed between the newscasts, when new people step into the control room.

Why can’t the station or Nexstar corporate buy each Producer, Director or other control room personal their own headset?

It seems like a no brainer.

But sources tell FTVLive that at many Nexstar stations, photographers are sharing gear back and forth and many on staff are sharing laptop computers.

At this point, Nexstar needs to be supplying individuals with their own gear and not having people share equipment.

Sources tell FTVLive that a number of Nexstar stations have had employees that have tested positive, but there have been no memos sent out for fear of them making it on FTVLive.

“My News Director called me to say an employee tested positive, but she did not say who it was?” said one Nexstar staffer to FTVLive.

The problem is that employers can not name the staff member that tested positive due to the HIPPA law.

Staffers are being told that they might have come in contact with the positive employee, but bosses are relying on the employee that tested positive to remember everyone that he/she might have come in contact with?

The staff could say that he was only back in production and in the control room, But, he/she could completely forget that they used the bathroom next to the newsroom a couple of times.

When people are gathering in a building, it is hard to stop the spread and relying on someone’s memory is not always effective.

But, buying people their own headset and not relying on a sandwich bag to protect them can help stop the spread.

Buy the gear, put your staff’s safety before the pocketbook.

Just saying…