An employee of the Nevada Department of Taxation who tested presumptive positive in April for COVID-19 — but was later found to be negative — spurred the agency to spend $15,000 on a deep clean of its Carson City office.

A retroactive contract up for approval during Tuesday’s Board of Examiners meeting — composed of the governor and other statewide elected officials that oversee contracts and spending — indicated that an employee of the agency tested positive for the novel coronavirus back in April. The agency had not previously announced that a staff member tested presumptive positive.

Department of Taxation spokeswoman Eden Collings said in an email that employees were sent home on April 16 and returned on April 20 after the deep cleaning was completed. She said the employee in question ultimately did not receive positive test results and that the department had followed state and federal health authority guidelines for reopening.

According to meeting material, the department executed the contract on April 17 for $15,000 with COIT Services of Reno for the two-day deep cleaning.

The contract was part of an emergency solicitation and thus did not go out to bid. It was approved by the state Purchasing Department.

As with other state agencies, the Taxation Department was closed to members of the public during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency is now accepting appointments for limited in-person services, with individuals required to wear a mask and no walk-ins allowed.

As of Sunday, Carson City has reported 110 COVID-19 positive cases, with 81 recoveries and five deaths.