May 20, 2020 - Health

Over 5,500 NYPD officers return to work after testing positive for coronavirus

Orion Rummler

In this image, a line of NYPD police officers stand outside in a park — NYPD officers, May 17. Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images

5,521 New York Police Department officers returned for duty as of Wednesday after previously testing positive for the novel coronavirus, the NYPD tweeted.

Why it matters: The CDC considers immediate health risks from the coronavirus for law enforcement to be low when they are performing routine duties. But the pandemic has resulted in a "worst-case scenario" for the NYPD, as one out of every six officers were out sick in April, per the New York Times.

100 uniformed NYPD members and 28 civilian members are still out sick after testing positive for the virus, the NYPD said.
10.5% of the NYPD has received positive tests for the coronavirus, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a briefing on Wednesday. 17.1% of New York's fire department and EMTs have also tested positive.

Go deeper: More than 1,400 NYPD employees reportedly test positive for coronavirus

Add Axios on Google

Over 5,500 NYPD officers return to work after testing positive for coronavirus

What to read next