Southwest District Reopens After Coronavirus Sanitization: Police

BALTIMORE, MD —The southwest district has reopened after all vehicles were sanitized and officers were temporarily told to self-quarantine following concern about the new coronavirus. Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said Tuesday that 12 members of the police department had tested positive for the virus, while 67 officers were awaiting results.

Harrison ordered the police station on Font Hill Avenue to be closed Saturday night after an officer tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus. All 133 officers assigned to that station were also directed to self-quarantine, and the department began to put daily health checks into place.

By Monday, Harrison said the southwest district had reopened.

Since the pandemic began, a total of 309 officers have been quarantined for some length of time, Harrison said. According to the commissioner, 150 officers in the department were in quarantine as of Tuesday, while 194 had been cleared for work.

PREVIOUS REPORT (Sunday, April 5) — Officials say the southwest district is closed in Baltimore, after an officer tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus. All 133 officers assigned to that station have been ordered to self-quarantine, and the department has now put daily health checks into place.

Every vehicle from the southwest district is being sanitized, according to authorities. The officers and two civilian workers from the southwest district were ordered to self-quarantine until their COVID-19 test results come back, according to police.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the department is temporarily adjusting operations as a precautionary measure for the agency," Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said in a statement. "The safety our members and residents continues to be my top priority during this critical time, and we continue to take the necessary steps to protect our members and the community."

The 134 people from the southwest district are among 219 total in the department at the moment who are self-quarantined, officials said.

Six officers and two employees have tested positive for the virus in the Baltimore Police Department, authorities said Sunday night.

"I have spoken to all of the officers that have tested positive for COVID-19 and they are all recovering and are in good spirits," Harrison said in a statement. "The men and women of this department continue to serve during this most challenging time. Our members are courageous and remain resilient."

In all, 305 employees of the Baltimore Police Department have been quarantined at some point during the pandemic for reasons including travel from high-risk areas, potential exposure or respiratory/flu-like symptoms, officials said. So far, 82 officers and four civilian workers have been cleared to return to work, the Baltimore Police Department reported Sunday night.

The mayor said he supported the decision to close the station in the 400 block of Font Hill Avenue.

"I commend Police Commissioner Harrison’s decision to adjust operations at Southwest Police District at this time," Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young said in a statement. "Doing so protects the health of our officers, while continuing to provide essential public safety services."

The coronavirus is spread through respiratory droplets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

To slow its spread, Gov. Larry Hogan issued a stay-at-home order Monday, March 30.

"We now have widespread community transmission, this virus is everywhere and it is a threat to nearly everyone," Hogan said Friday, April 3. That day, the CDC also recommended that people wear face masks in areas where maintaining 6 feet between people is difficult, such as in grocery stores, especially in areas where there has been community transmission.

"I am confident that Commissioner Harrison and his team are taking every precaution to avoid the possible spread of this virus," Young said in a statement Saturday night. "All of our residents need to remain vigilant, and continue to comply with the governor’s stay-at-home order to limit the risks of exposure to this dangerous and deadly disease."

Related:

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• CDC Recommends Masks In Areas Of Community Transmission