JPD officer tests positive for COVID-19

A JPD officer tested positive for coronavirus.

HITTING HOME AT JPD...THE CITY'S TOP COP, CHIEF JAMESDAVIS,INFORMING THE PUBLIC THROUGHSOCIALMEDIA... SOTCHIEF DAVIS:05-:07WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON JACKSONPOLICE CHIEF JAMES DAVIS,LOGGING ONTO FACEBOOK, TO TELLTHE COMMUNITYONE OF HIS OFFICERS HAS TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS...SOTCHIEF JAMES DAVIS:17-:24HE IS AT HOME RESTING...PLEASEKEEP HIM AND HIS FAMILY IN YOURPRAYERSOTHER THAN BEING MALE, DAVIS DIDNOTMENTION ANY OTHER DETAILS ABOUTTHEOFFICER, BUT HE DID ADDRESS THESITUATIONWITH OTHER JPD OFFICERS HEWORKEDWITH...THE CHIEF SAYS THEY HAVE BEENREFERRED TOTHE DEPARTMENT'S MEDICAL CLINIC,OR TOTHIER PERSONAL PHYSICIALS FORSCREENING...SOTCHIEF JAMES DAVIS:37-:53IF AN OFFICER'S SCREENING SHOWSNOW SYMPTOMS OF THE COVID-19,THEN THE OFFICER WILL RETURN TOWORK.

IF AN OFFICER'S SCREENINGSSHOW POSITIVE SYMPTOMS, THENTHEY WILL BE PLACED ONADMINISTRATIVELEAVE FOR TWO WEEKS, FORQUARRANTINEDAVIS SAYS AFTER THAT QUARANTINEPERIOD, THAT OFFICER WOULD HAVETO BE CLEAREDFOR DUTY, WITH A WRITTENDIAGNOSISFROM A DOCTOR SHOWING THAT THEYWEREN'T INFECTED BY THE VIRUS...BOTTOM LINE, HE SAYS OFFICERSMUSTCONTINUE TO ANSWER THE CALL FROMTHECOMMUNITY...WHICH INCLUDESINCORPORATING GUIDLINES FROM THEMAYOR, AND THE CDC, TO NOTGATHER IN GROUPSOF 10 OR MORE...CHIEF DAVIS SAYS THAT HASCHANGES TO DAY TODAY OPERATIONS...SUPERVISORS ARE NOW MEETING ONEON ONEWITH OFFICERS FOR THEIRASSIGMENTS, ANPRACITICING SOCIAL DISTANCING...COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORRHOODMEETING ARE ALSO CANCELLED FORTHEFORSEEABLE FUTURE...THEY ARE ALSO CARRYING PERSONALPROTECTION EQUIPMENT, ANDCLEANING SUPPLIES,AND SANITIZERS IN SQUAD CARS... OF COURSE WE KNOW OFFICER ARE ONTHE FRONT LINE, AND CAN'T DOTHIER WORK FROM HOME...MEANWHILE, THERE ARE NOWCONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19 INHINDS COUNTY...TROY JOHNSON, 16 WAPT NEWS AT10...THE GREATER BELHAVEN AREA CAMEALIVE