Follow-up testing on the seven health care workers, including one physician, from Orlando Regional Medical Center who were exposed to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome infection has come back negative, officials said Tuesday.

The Department of Health has cleared the employees to return to work. They could be scheduled as early as Tuesday afternoon, but many most likely will resume their normal schedules Wednesday.

Preliminary testing on the 16 health care workers, including two physicians from Dr. P Phillips Hospital, has also come back negative for MERS. Those workers will receive additional testing this week, and health officials are optimistic they will also be cleared to return to work.

Orlando Health has required all 23 health care workers who were exposed to the MERS virus to remain out of work for the full 14-day incubation period, said Katie Dagenais, of Orlando Health.

There were three more workers exposed to MERS than originally reported, Dagenais said.