PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A Putnam County Sheriff's Office Deputy is recovering at home after testing positive for COVID-19.
The sheriff's office said on Facebook that the deputy tested positive Sunday after requesting to be tested because the deputy noticed some of the symptoms. The deputy is recovering and did not require hospitalization or other interventions, the Facebook post said.
Six other sheriff's office employees who were exposed to the deputy who tested positive are now being quarantined. None of the six are personally experiencing symptoms, and the sheriff's office post said they are expected to return to work soon.
The Facebook post went on to say the deputy did not respond to any known positive cases, and there is no identifiable source of exposure for the deputy. The health department is monitoring the status of all seven employees along with anyone else who may have had contact with the positive deputy, the post said.
The sheriff's office said deputies are issued personal protective equipment such as masks, eye protection and gloves, but there is no way to know whether the deputy came into contact with the coronavirus while on duty or at another time.
"Because of the quick reaction of our deputy in recognizing the symptoms, we were able to limit exposure to just a few other deputies," Colonel Joe Wells said in the Facebook post. "We want to assure our residents there is no slowing of service to our community. We always have plans in place for situations like this one."
The sheriff's office said they want to remind everyone of the importance of staying home unless necessary for work, grocery shopping, picking up medicine or going to medical appointments.