A lighted sign at the corner of North Pleasant Street and Thatcher Road on the University of Massachusetts campus reminds people of habits necessary to control the spread of the coronavirus, Thursday.
A lighted sign at the corner of North Pleasant Street and Thatcher Road on the University of Massachusetts campus reminds people of habits necessary to control the spread of the coronavirus, Thursday. Credit: STAFF PHOTO/JERREY ROBERTS

AMHERST — The University of Massachusetts on Sunday reported its first illness from the novel coronavirus, an dining services employee on campus.

The employee works in the Blue Wall Café, on the first floor of the Campus Center, the university said in an email. The staff member is self-isolating off campus, in accordance with public health protocols.

The Blue Wall has been closed until further notice. The university will perform enhanced cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting of the facility.

The employee was last on campus Thursday. University public health officials, in collaboration with local and state public health authorities, are performing contact tracing to identify and notify any individuals who may have been in close contact with the employee.

Anyone so identified will be notified by UMass public health authorities, and advised of a need to quarantine themselves.

There are currently no additional confirmed cases on campus as a result of this exposure, the university stated.

Any member of the campus community who is concerned about potential exposure should contact the COVID-19 HR Response Team at 413-687-2283 or COVID19HR@umass.edu.