An Oakland-area postal worker has died of COVID-19 just a week after his wife died from complications of the disease.
Keith Robinson, 61, of Vallejo, drove a distribution truck out of Oakland for the United States Postal Service, according to KTVU news. He died Thursday. His wife of 35 years, Gwendolyn Robinson, 62, worked at the Veterans’ Home of California in Yountville and died on July 23.
Their three children have set up a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for funeral expenses.
“We actually reached our goal today,” DeLon Adams, the couples’ son, said Friday. “We’ll be able to bury in both of them. Now it’s just really about handling things like their bills.”
Robinson possibly contracted the virus while driving a distribution truck for the postal service. He was already in intensive care when his wife died last week. Both he and his wife were planning to retire soon.
“Regardless of what they hear or see on the internet, if you contract this, there’s no understanding of how you’re gonna react to it,” Adams said. “Just be safe and be cautious and aware of things because we get a lot of misinformation.”
In addition to Robinson, two other postal workers in the Bay Area tested positive for the coronavirus, disrupting the service at several post offices in the Berkeley area as several postal workers have quarantined.
According to a Berkeleyside report, the staff shortage will disrupt service at eight post office locations: Berkeley (2000 Allston Way, Station A at 2111 San Pablo Ave.), South Berkeley (3175 Adeline St.), North Berkeley (1521 Shattuck Ave.), Landscape (1831 Solano Ave.), Elmwood (2705 Webster St.), Berkeley district unit (1150 Eight St.) and Albany (1191 Solano Ave).
Lisa Ortega, president of the American Postal Workers Union Local 47, has contacted the post offices to make sure they are being sanitized daily.
“I have been told that as soon as there is a confirmed positive that they immediately go in there and sanitize the offices,” Ortega said.
Post office spokesperson Augustin Ruiz said, “We believe the risk is low for employees who work at the Berkeley Post Office, but we will keep our employees apprised as new information and guidance becomes available.”
According Ruiz, the post offices adhere to CDC guidelines for a clean work environment, including using sanitizers, social distancing and wearing face coverings. Coronavirus is unlikely to be spread by mail, according to the CDC and the United States Surgeon General.