Nassau officer tests positive for coronavirus, official says
A Nassau County police officer has tested positive for coronavirus, a spokesman for the department said Thursday.
Lt. Det. Richard LeBrun declined to identify the officer but said the cop was not hospitalized, but is in self-isolation.
No Suffolk police officers have been diagnosed with the highly infectious and sometimes deadly disease.
Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said the department is working aggressively to keep officers, staff members and members of the public who interact with cops safe.
“First and foremost, we need to protect those who are protecting the rest of us,” Ryder said.
Social distancing, Nassau Police Benevolent Association president James McDermott said, is not an option for police officers when making an arrest or assisting people in need.
“What the police department is facing right now is a high-wire, tightrope act,” McDermott said. “We can’t help but be exposed to the public. People are still committing crimes, still being arrested, still need medical attention.”
The department has issued personal protective equipment, including masks, goggles, gloves and robes, Ryder said. Police buildings and vehicles have been repeatedly scrubbed.
Ryder asked residents who need police services to tell 911 operators if they are sick and to describe their symptoms. They are also asked to tell the operators if they have traveled recently to China, Italy or other countries severely impacted by the pandemic.
Ryder said residents could help protect cops by following guidelines issued by the state and county health departments and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as avoiding gatherings of more than a few people, washing hands frequently and staying home if ill.
“I want to give all the credit to the brave men and women, boldly doing their jobs, knowing that they can be infected at anytime,” McDermott said. “All this uncertainly leads to fear, but they’re out there doing it and nobody’s complaining.”
