KITCHENER -- The Waterloo Regional Police Service says 11 of its members have tested positive for COVID-19.
The cases are in sworn and civilian members of the police force. They work at five different buildings in Waterloo Region, officials said in a news release.
Here's how the cases break down:
- North Division: Two sworn members
- Central Division: Three sworn members
- Investigative Services: One sworn member
- Operational Support: Communications, three civilian members
- Court Services: Two civilian members
Since March, officials said 846 members have been potentially exposed to the disease and 787 of those cases have now cleared. There are currently 34 members of the force off-duty for reasons related to COVID-19.
Areas where the employees work have been cleaned and sanitized, the release said.
WRPS said it's working with public health officials to perform contact tracing.
“Since the beginning of this pandemic, our members have demonstrated their commitment to serve this community with the utmost professionalism,” Chief Bryan Larkin said in the release. “It is clear that COVID-19 continues to cause significant health concerns within the community and we encourage everyone to follow all guidelines set out by public health to ensure we stop the spread of this virus. Together, we can do what needs to be done to ensure everyone stays safe and healthy as we head into 2021.”
The service said it's following all guidelines laid out by public health and has added new measures to make sure members are safe.
Earlier this week, the Guelph Police Service declared a COVID-19 outbreak after four members tested positive for the disease. A fifth case was confirmed on Thursday in relation to that outbreak.
