More than 1,000 police officers, firefighters and paramedics in the Los Angeles region were ill or at home quarantining on Tuesday after testing positive for the coronavirus, spurring additional concerns about public safety as the Omicron variant continues its rapid spread.
A spokesman for L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti called it an “unprecedented surge” in cases which the mayor is focused on and working to mitigate — including by authorizing additional overtime funds to cover the shifts of those out sick.
More than 500 employees of the Los Angeles Police Department — including 416 sworn officers — were at home quarantining as of Jan. 1 after positive tests, the department said. In the last week alone, the department had seen 424 new cases, officials said.
The Los Angeles Fire Department had 201 employees out due to the coronavirus as of Tuesday, while the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department had 552 employees out, including 389 sworn deputies, officials said.
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