Dozens of D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department members may have been exposed to coronavirus and are under a self-quarantine, multiple sources tell News4.
Two members of the department tested positive for COVID-19, Chief Gregory Dean confirmed Wednesday night. They both are firefighters and are partners, sources said.
“Any patients that they interacted with on those several days they were working have been contacted,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday on “The Today Show.”
As many as 100 firefighters are isolating themselves, according to sources.
Neither the mayor nor Dean commented on how many personnel were under self-quarantine. D.C. Fire and EMS has more than 2,000 members.
The first firefighter who tested positive may have worked two shifts while showing symptoms, sources said. Firefighters from both shifts are self-quarantined.
It’s unclear if the firefighter caught the virus on the job or away from work. It’s also unclear when he reported the virus to the fire department.
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Every member is being checked for “signs and symptoms of illness” when they arrive to work, and their temperatures are being taken before they are allowed into quarters, Dean said.
Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.
