An attorney for a stylist who worked at Great Clips is speaking out after a COVID-19 exposure to customers.

This comes after a press briefing on May 22, when Springfield-Greene County Health Director Clay Goddard said the stylist went to work while she had symptoms.

“While symptomatic, our case worked as a hair stylist at the Great Clips at 1864 S. Glenstone Ave. on the following dates,” a statement from the health department said.

Attorney Bill Robb said the woman did seek medical attention as soon as she had symptoms and says the health department, in his mind, kind of casted the Great Clips and the stylist in a bad light and almost was critical in the way that [the health department] behaved.

Robb says the woman went to Mercy and was given ZYRTEC and told to go home.

Robb also says the stylist asked about taking a COVID-19 test and was told she didn’t need one and was sent home.

KY3 News is reporting it was shown proof of the doctor visit on May 12.

Since it contains sensitive medical information, the proof cannot be published.

KY3 says what it was shown showed more details about a visit, diagnosis and prescriptions given.

Mercy Hospital would only release a statement saying, “Federal privacy laws prevent Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care from discussing individual patient care. Mercy-GoHealth provides high-quality care based on the most stringent clinical standards set by Mercy and applicable law. Each patient is individually evaluated based on his or her symptoms and medical history shared at the time of the visit. Mercy-GoHealth follows CDC and state COVID-19 testing criteria.”

Assistant Health Director Katie Towns says the health department wants health care providers to know that plenty of tests are available and if people are symptomatic, or there is even a “shadow of a doubt”, those providers should get people tested.

Robb said the stylist is older and has an autoimmune disease.

Robb explains that less than a week after she was sent home for allergies, she felt like her sense of smell and taste was not normal and that’s when she called the health department.

Robb says the stylist did not go to work the day she called the health department, and she went to the health department to get a test the next day.

But then the stylist went back to work while waiting for the test result.

Robb says the woman was not told by the health department that she wasn’t supposed to work so she kept trying to cut hair.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department released a statement saying that while they can’t discuss specific cases, people are required to sign an agreement that looks like this:

“Until further notice, please follow these isolation precautions, in order to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19:

• I must remain at home, except to get medical care (including not working or attending school) so I will not spread COVID-19 to other people.
• I will wear a facemask when around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) or pets and before entering a healthcare provider’s office. If I am not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then people who live with me should not stay in the same room, or they should wear a facemask if they enter my room.
• If my symptoms worsen and I require medical care, I will notify my chosen healthcare provider prior to presenting to the facility.
• If medical care is required emergently, I will notify the 911 dispatcher of my coronavirus diagnosis so that Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will be aware of my condition.
• I understand that a representative of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department will be in contact with me to get additional information about my symptoms and travel history.
• I understand that my failure to comply with the above responsibilities could result exposing other individuals to the COVID-19.”

The statement continues to say “Once lab results confirm a positive case, the individual is then informed of their responsibilities to remain in isolation, which reiterates these responsibilities listed in the previous document, as well as gives guidance on precautions to take at home, and the twice daily symptom reporting requirements. This document also requires patient consent. ”

All Springfield Great Clips locations have closed because of threats since the news was released.

Health department leaders say that was not their intention.

Assistant Health Director Towns says none of the information that is put out and distributed in order to give the community more information to protect their own health and safety is ever meant in any way to shame somebody or to put them in a position where they’re going to be threatened.

Robb said the woman is still afraid right now of the threats that are continuing to be made.