Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Three Middletown police patrol officers and a community service officer have tested positive for COVID-19.
The officers’ cases are on top of four previously announced.
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Middletown Chief of Police Joseph Bartorilla said all eight officers are at home recovering and a few are close to the end of the recovery. Pending testing with the Bucks County Health Department, some of the officers could return to work in the next week or two.
The origin of the new cases have been difficult to track, but the department is considering the exposures job related, Bartorilla said.
The department has not needed to request assistance from surrounding agencies under an mutual aid agreement, the chief said. He added that some departments have stepped forward to offer their support.
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“So far, we’ve done a great job covering shifts. It’s taken some creativity, but so many of our officers have stepped up and worked extra shifts to keep our patrol coverage strong and keep our community safe during this challenging time,” Bartorilla said. “We’re still doing police work. That hasn’t stopped.”
Bartorilla said the department arrested a prisoner and processed him at their station earlier in the week. The prisoner later tested positive for COVID-19 while at the Bucks County Correctional Facility.
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“The prisoner had symptoms when we contacted him, so we made him wear a mask the entire time he was in our custody. All of our personnel who had contact with the prisoner were wearing their protective equipment, and so were the constables, so risk is likely minimal,” Bartorilla explained.
The chief said officers, constables, and two community service officers who had contact with the sick prisoner will be tested for COVID-19. In addition, the areas of the building where the prisoner was at were cleaned and disinfected, including the vehicle he was transported in.
The officers who had contact with the infected prisoner are quarantined at home until they learn their COVID-19 test results.
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Despite the governor’s stay-at-home order, Middletown’s call volume has remained steady.
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