2 New Jersey Officers in Serious Condition with Coronavirus

Two Jersey City, NJ, police officers who have tested positive for the coronavirus are in serious condition and an additional 16 officers are quarantined, Mayor Steve Fulop said at a news conference Sunday morning.

Fulop also said that another 42 police officers are out of work due to experiencing various symptoms that could be attributed to the novel coronavirus, NJ.com reports.

“There’s no question that we are seeing an impact on first-responders,” Fulop said. “I just want to highlight how appreciative we are that they’re out there every single day.”

Fulop said the city is initiating new protocols within the police and fire departments to halt the spread of the respiratory illness.

Police Chief Michael Kelly, who oversees 950 police officers, said the department can’t practice social distance due to the nature of their job. Instead all Jersey City precincts and patrol cars will get daily “deep cleaning,” as well as an on-demand aerosol cleaning.