551 Chicago Police Department Members Have Tested Positive For COVID-19, 369 Officers Have Recovered
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A total of 551 members of the Chicago Police Department have now tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The figure includes 521 sworn officers and 30 civilian employees. All of the department members' diagnoses have been confirmed by the police Medical Section.
A total of 369 Chicago Police officers who have tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered and are now back on duty.
Three police officers have died of COVID-19: Officer Ronald Newman, Sgt. Clifford Martin, and Officer Marco DiFranco.
As he does in every internal email update, police Supt. David Brown on Thursday again reminded all members of the department that they must wear department-issued surgical masks and gloves.
"It is recommended that surgical masks and gloves are to be worn even when inside of a police facility or department vehicle, when 6 feet of social distancing cannot be maintained," the email stated.
Brown also reminded officers to take care of themselves and one another – and emphasized that peer support systems such as the Employee Assistance Program, licensed therapists, and the Chaplains Ministry are available.
