NewsCoronavirus

Actions

421 Detroit police officers back to work after being in quarantine

Detroit police vehicle
Posted at 3:22 PM, Apr 08, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-08 15:22:37-04

(WXYZ) — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said 421 Detroit police officers have returned to work after being in quarantine.

Duggan said that currently, 170 members of the Detroit Police Department have tested positive for COVID-19. There are 369 officers that are currently quarantined.

Specialty squads are getting filled again, Duggan said, because patrol cars are continuing to be filled out.

The mayor said this is key to breaking up large groups of people that are forming "which is a risk to all of us."

Additionally, Duggan said the city is working with transit police to crack down on bus riders who are not going to essential jobs or taking care of family members.

"The pattern of them riding back and forth indicate they do not have an essential place to go," Duggan said.

It is not legal under Governor Gretchen Whitmer's executive order to be riding the bus if you are not performing an essential service.

Duggan said the city is working with transit police to give drivers the opportunity to flag individuals they don't believe are actually performing these jobs.

"If you're on your way to a job or to take care of a loved one, we're going to support you on that," Duggan said. "We can't have people riding back and forth on buses who don't have a specific purpose."

The mayor also noted that the curve is "beginning to flatten out," but stressed that it does not mean people can congregate in large groups again. He said the curve is only beginning to flatten because people have been honoring social distancing.

Additional Coronavirus information and resources:

Read our daily Coronavirus Live Blog for the latest updates and news on coronavirus.

Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.

View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.

Find out how you can help metro Detroit restaurants struggling during the pandemic.

See all of our Helping Each Other stories.

See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.