Lieutenant in NYPD HQ tests for coronavirus, Bronx cop in self-quarantine
An NYPD supervisor in police headquarters was tested for COVID-19 Saturday and a Bronx cop has been in self-quarantine after both are believed to have come in contact with people who were confirmed to have coronavirus, The Post has learned.
As of Saturday afternoon, no members of the NYPD were infected with the virus that has brought New York City life to a grinding halt — but city cops have been on edge about the department’s recent response to the outbreak and what they believe is the inevitable spread to officers.
A police source told The Post a lieutenant in the Office of Management Analysis and Planning, or OMAP, which serves as the department’s “think-tank” inside One Police Plaza, had been tested after their significant other was hospitalized with coronavirus symptoms.
The supervisor’s test results are expected to come back Monday, the source said.
On Thursday, a cop in the Bronx was ordered to stay home and self-quarantine after the department found out his wife had tested positive for the virus, another police source said. He had been showing up for work for days despite his wife’s positive test, the source said. It’s unclear if the Bronx officer was also tested.
The area where the officer worked in the precinct was being cleaned Saturday, according to a police spokesman.
“The NYPD is paying close attention to the health of our officers and when we feel there is a potential for exposure, we will do what best medical practices require,” the spokesman said.
New York reported its first two deaths from the virus Saturday and 524 total positive cases — with Gov. Andrew Cuomo saying he expects that number to grow by at least 1,000 next week as testing ramps up.
The news of potential infection and community spread in NYPD units comes a day after the city’s largest police union complained of a lack of supplies being provided to its members to prevent cops from getting sick.
The department responded quickly by shipping out face masks, gloves and bottles of hand sanitizer to precincts — but sources said supplies were still limited and some of the bottles of sanitizers were either expired or half-empty.
Cops were given one mask each — with one source saying he had to sign out the mask, ensuring only one was taken and documented.
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