Kentucky mayor, 5 officers in quarantine after worker tests positive for coronavirus
The Barbourville mayor and half of the city’s police officers have been ordered to quarantine after they were exposed to the coronavirus, according to Jake Knuckles, the assistant police chief.
The five officers and Mayor David Thompson came in contact with a police department employee who last worked a shift on March 30 and tested positive for COVID-19, Knuckles said. The employee who tested positive is at home recovering, according to a news release from Barbourville police.
The officers and mayor have not shown any symptoms of coronavirus, Knuckles said. The department has 11 officers.
“We are following all guidelines to inform anyone who may have worked with the officer and assess all potential exposures,” Knuckles said in the release. “The Barbourville Police Department is working closely with the Knox County Health Department to track individuals who have close contact with the employee and are at risk for a potential infection.”
The Knox County Health Department confirmed the positive test in a statement posted to its Facebook page Monday morning. It was the first case in Knox County.
This story was originally published April 7, 2020 at 7:30 AM.