A member of the Kitsap County Superior Court has tested positive for 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

As a result, the court office at Kitsap County Superior Court was ordered closed through Friday, March 20.

Kitsap County Superior Court Presiding Judge Kevin Hull said court leaders were told late Tuesday that a member of the Superior Court office had tested positive for COVID-19.

The individual, an adult male over the age of 60, has not been at the courthouse since Thursday, March 12, Hull said in a message announcing the closure.

Hull said the court worker was not feeling sick and did not have any symptoms of illness when he left the courthouse last week.

But when he awoke on March 13, Hull added, the man had a piercing cough and a temperature exceeding 100 degrees. He was advised to not return to the Kitsap County Courthouse until he received a negative COVID-19 test or was cleared by a physician.

The courthouse worker notified Hull and Court Administrator Frank Maiocco at 5:38 p.m. Tuesday of his positive test result, immediately after he received it.

Hull said the Kitsap County Health District has not advised the office to close, but the courthouse is taking the step in an abundance of caution to give the health district a chance to identify those persons who may had close contact with this individual.

Due to the office closure, in-custody defendants booked in the Kitsap County Jail with felony charges between March 17 and March 20 will be assigned to one of the Elected Judges Pro Tempore in the Kitsap County District Court as set forth by Washington Administrative Rule 6. Hull said that after this week’s closure, the Kitsap County Superior Court will resume operations in conjunction with Emergency Administrative Orders issued beginning March 13.

Limited operations have been initiated to reduce the number of people who need to come to the courthouse while still meeting the court’s constitutional obligations.