A Portland police officer has tested positive for the coronavirus, the department said.
The unidentified officer has self-quarantined out of state, according to a post late Thursday on the police department’s Facebook page.
It is not clear yet how many people that officer may have come into close contact with during the days before he or she tested positive for the virus. The department said it will continue to focus on helping the community while it examines whether there is any internal risk posed by the positive officer.
“We remain focused on ensuring both the health and safety of the other 220 members of our agency, as well as ensuring continuity of operations and the high level of service to which our community has become accustomed,” the department said in the Facebook post.
It is also unclear whether the officer experienced symptoms that prompted the test, or if the officer was tested for the virus because of other risk-factors, such as exposure to another suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus.
The officer primarily dealt with other members of the department, said Jessica Grondin, spokeswoman for the city. She did not respond to questions about the number of other officers or police employees who make have been exposed.
Police spokesman Lt. Robert Martin said efforts are underway to trace contacts that officer had with others, but Martin deferred all other questions to Chief Frank Clark.
Chief Frank Clark said it’s been eight days since the diagnosis but there have been no other positive test results.
The department has also a more sweeping general order to staff calling for each officer or employee to monitor their symptoms, including their temperature, before each shift.
Clark’s order also includes provision for sanitization of the station, and offers testing for people who have symptoms that match CDC guidelines.
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