Two more Santa Rosa police officers have tested positive for novel coronavirus, making five total cases confirmed in the department since this week, officials said Friday.
The first three cases were announced on Tuesday.
In announcing the new cases, Santa Rosa Police Chief Rainer Navarro said that the department is working with the Sonoma County Public Health Officer to begin testing more personnel, in particular those who may have come in contact with the confirmed cases.
“This measure will help the Police Department to prevent further potential spread and get a better understanding of potential additional impacts to the organization," the department said in an announcement.
"Transparency continues to be a department priority, and as test results become available, that information will be shared with the public."
Twenty department employees have been tested to date, with four getting a negative diagnosis and 11 awaiting results that are expected early next week.
Officials said public health nurses will conduct a detailed interview of each person confirmed and advise anyone people they have had contact with to self-quarantine for 14 days and report any symptoms to their health care provider and Sonoma County Disease Control.
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Police officials said that contact for some of the cases confirmed in the department may have happened before the county shelter-in-place order was issued.
The Santa Rosa Police Department said it is maintaining strict strict sanitization and social distancing protocols and is "massively overhauling scheduling for patrol teams."
Officers will be assigned a two-week day or night shift, then self-isolate for the following two weeks, with succeeding sets of officers doing the same.
The department said it is also limiting on-the-job contact between employees and reducing the sharing of department vehicles.
