The Oakland Police Department confirmed Friday evening that an employee who tested positive for the novel coronavirus is a police officer.
Officials said the officer, the first department employee to test positive, hasn't been to work since Sunday and currently is self-quarantined offsite and is recovering.
The department said it has taken immediate action and precautions to protect the health and safety of all of its workers and is following Alameda County's health order and protocols and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's protocols for COVID-19.
Police officials said that in preparation for COVID-19 their field officers received advance training about the virus from the Oakland Fire Department.
The department said it has personal protective equipment, including face masks and gloves, for its officers and the city began conducting COVID-19 tests for officers and other first responders starting on Friday.
