The head of the union of US Capitol Police officers says that almost 40 members of the force have tested positive for coronavirus in the days since the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The Washington Post reported on Saturday that the number was revealed by Gus Papathanasiou, head of the working committee of the United States Capitol Police branch of the Fraternal Order of Police. Papathanasiou told the newspaper that the majority of cases were between police and supervisors, although it is not clear whether all cases involved police officers present in response to the attack.
“They are mainly officers and supervisors, all jurors,” he told the Post.
“[E]”each is on top of the other,” added Papathanasiou as he described the January 6 scene on Capitol Hill. “So, when you use pepper spray and pepper balls, people cough and body fluids are all over the place.”
The Post reported that the dozens of cases among the U.S. Capitol Police reflect an increasing number of cases among the Washington National Guard division, which was sent to provide security during President Biden’s administration.
One Capitol Police officer died and dozens of Capitol police were injured as a result of the January 6 violence. Another police officer who responded to the scene died several days later. About 1,500 Capitol police in total responded to the scene alongside about 1,000 members of the DC metropolitan police force.
US Capitol Police did not immediately return a request to confirm the union’s COVID-19 case count. A spokesman told the Post that one of “the department’s top priorities is to provide USCP officers with the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as the vaccine becomes more readily available to first responders.”