Providence police officer tests positive for COVID-19
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – A Providence police officer tested positive Thursday for the COVID-19 virus after falling ill, the Target 12 investigators have learned.
Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Paré said the officer is “doing as best as they can.”
“He or she is not hospitalized and is home dealing with flu like symptoms,” Paré said.
He said they are assessing the interactions the officer had with members of the department and the public, and cleaning has continued at headquarters and all substations.
“We are spraying periodically the insides of cruisers with disinfectant that will continue as well,” Paré said. “The positive test result isn’t going to change what we have been doing because we have been cleaning regularly for two weeks now.”
Paré said the diagnosis has increased the number of Providence police officers on quarantine to four (there are seven city firefighters in quarantine).
He said this comes at a time when the governor’s order to crackdown on a large number of customers at stores as increased their patrol obligations.
“Last night we went through all the big box stores – the Home Depots – and everyone was in compliance,” he said.
Paré said they did shut down a social club on Thursday that was serving patrons.
Tim White (twhite@wpri.com) is the Target 12 investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for WPRI 12 and Fox Providence. Follow him on Twitter and on Facebook
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