Sacramento County is monitoring a COVID-19 outbreak among California Highway Patrol officers in the state’s Capitol, after at least nine tested positive since Inauguration Day.
The outbreak comes after CHP increased officer presence at the California’s Capitol in the days leading up to and after President Joe Biden’s inauguration, just weeks after the insurrection at the nation’s Capitol. CapRadio confirmed the positive cases after obtaining memos sent from the Senate Secretary to Senate staff; these memos go out whenever a worker in the Capitol tests positive for COVID-19.
Officer John Ortega, a spokesperson for CHP, did not comment on the status of the outbreak. He declined to provide the number of officers deployed to protect the Capitol around Inauguration Day, citing security concerns.
Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye confirmed through a spokesperson that the county considers the situation an outbreak. She was unavailable for further comment.
After the Jan. 6 insurrection by pro-Trump extremists in Washington, D.C., CHP beefed up enforcement around California’s Capitol building. On Jan. 15, CHP went on “tactical alert,” which “allows for the maximization of resources to protect public safety as well as state buildings and infrastructure,” according to a press release. That marked a substantial increase in officers at the Capitol.
CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray announced the tactical alert “for an indefinite period,” indicating the heightened presence has continued since Inauguration Day.
Senate Secretary Erika Contreras sent at least five memos to staff after Inauguration Day, detailing the positive cases among CHP officers:
- Jan. 21: One CHP officer tested positive; last in Capitol on Jan. 19
- Jan. 24: Two CHP officers tested positive; last in Capitol on Jan. 21 and 22
- Jan. 26: One CHP officer tested positive; last in Capitol on Jan. 21
- Jan. 28: Three CHP officers tested positive; two last in Capitol on Jan. 24 and one on Jan. 25
- Jan. 29: Two CHP officers tested positive; both last in Capitol Jan. 28
The Jan. 21 memo was the only one to state that the officer who tested positive “does not normally work at the Capitol."
Rick Greenwood, adjunct professor of epidemiology at University of California, Los Angeles, says the timeline indicates a “common exposure.”
“They’re all within the timeframe of incubation for the virus,” he said. “That makes it look like it was a common event.”
When employers report an outbreak, the Sacramento County public health department conducts contact tracing to determine the potential spread of the virus and notifies individuals of possible exposures. The county also helps the employer communicate outbreak information to employees and resources for testing.
While CHP officers wore masks on duty, the increased enforcement appeared to put them in close proximity at times.
On Inauguration Day, CapRadio observed groups of officers climbing out of vans as they reported to the Capitol for duty.
Greenwood says the jump in cases underscores how contagious the virus is — and the increased risks officers assumed to protect the Capitol.
“It shows just how communicable this disease is,” he said.
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