Most employees of Health Department offices in both districts were sent home early Monday due ostensibly to unrelated problems in each facility, a department official said Monday.
At the Knud Hansen Complex on St. Thomas, employees left at 2 p.m. because of a water outage caused by repairs being made by Water and Power Authority personnel in the area. Work should return to normal Tuesday, Health Department Public Information Officer Eunice Bedminster said Monday.
At the Charles Harwood on Complex on St. Croix, employees left at 3 p.m. and will be out through Friday because of "a malodorous episode exacerbated by last weekend’s power outage on that island," according to a Health Department statement.
"Power was out at the St. Croix complex for several hours over the weekend," Bedminster said, which created a problem with the ventilation.
Some workers, who asked not to be identified, said there was a bad smell in the air.
Meanwhile, some officials will still be in the offices.
"The office of the commissioner is still open and she will be there well past 3 p.m.," Bedminster said. "Members of the executive staff are still there.… Some have gone but some of us are staying through, taking this as an opportunity to catch up."
