20 Minnesota, North Dakota staff who attended Salvation Army conference test positive for COVID-19

The Salvation Army reports 20 of its staff members from Minnesota and North Dakota tested positive for COVID-19 after a conference in Minnesota earlier this month.

A Salvation Army Northern Division spokesman confirmed with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that staff attended the semi-annual conference at The Salvation Army camp in Finlayson Oct. 6-8. The conference was originally scheduled for last spring, however, it was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

A hybrid setting for the conference was approved, the spokesman said, after staff consulted federal and state guidelines; staff had the option to attend in person or virtually. The spokesman added safety measures were in place at the conference, including mandated face masks as well as announcements at the conference to recommend hand-washing and social distancing.

According to the spokesman, some staff who attended the conference began showing symptoms of COVID-19 after they returned from Finlayson. The first notice of a staff member who was diagnosed with COVID-19 happened on Oct. 12.

The remaining staff members who attended the conference quarantined and the Twin Cities headquarters was temporarily closed out of caution, the spokesman stated.

"We have also taken remedial measures at The Salvation Army field offices based on exposure and contact tracing," the spokesman said in a statement. "We will continue to work with our officers and employees to plan our return to our headquarters and field offices in a manner that is safe and complies with all applicable health guidance.

"We regret that anyone was exposed to or contracted the COVID-19 virus, and our prayers for a speedy recovery are with those individuals and their families."

The spokesman added that none of the staff who tested positive for COVID-19 were hospitalized and several are no longer showing symptoms.