Published Thursday, April 2, 2020 | 2:15 p.m.
Updated Thursday, April 2, 2020 | 7:19 p.m.
Two North Las Vegas Police employees, including a patrol officer, tested positive for the coronavirus this week, the first known infections in the department, city officials announced today.
On Sunday morning, the officer began showing symptoms of the virus and immediately self-quarantined, city spokesman Patrick Walker said in a statement. The police department on Thursday afternoon learned that a staffer at its records division also had contracted COVID-19.
When the officer’s symptoms didn’t subside later on Sunday, the cop contacted the city’s Emergency Operations Center, which ordered a test on Monday, Walker said.
“The officer is at home and our medical staff is checking in daily,” Walker said.
The officer’s partner was placed on a two-week quarantine, but wasn’t showing symptoms as of Thursday, Walker said. Investigators were attempting to map the infected officer’s possible contacts.
It wasn’t clear if any other officers have been quarantined or tested.
The employee at the records division last showed up to work on Saturday. At some point, that person began experiencing symptoms and self-quarantined, and contacted a health-care professional, who ordered a coronavirus test, Walker said. None of that person’s co-workers “are being quarantined at this time,” he added.
“The safety of our citizens and our employees is our top concern,” Walker said in the statement. “For nearly a month, we’ve had a process in place for employees who may have been exposed to the coronavirus, and in this case, the system worked exactly as intended, and this officer followed those procedures, minimizing potential spread to coworkers and residents.”
On Wednesday, Metro Police announced two officers had tested positive for the virus and several others had been tested.
As of today, 1,125 people have tested positive for the virus and 34 have died in Clark County, according to health officials.
