5 police officers and 7 detention center employees in Texas are in quarantine after arrest of a suspect with coronavirus

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A dozen law enforcement employees in Corpus Christi are in quarantine after arresting and detaining a suspect who tested positive for Covid-19, the city said.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the five police officers and seven CDC (City Detention Center) staff members who came in contact with the individual will be tested and quarantined while waiting for their test results,” according to a news release from the city.

Officers responded to a call at a grocery store Wednesday, and a struggle began when officers attempted to make an arrest, the news release said. The officers were “unable to maintain proper personal protective equipment during the arrest,” the release said.

A police spokesman was unable to confirm why the suspect was arrested or what prompted a call to police.

The suspect was released after being taken to the City Detention Center. The county Public Health District then notified the department that the suspect had tested positive on Monday.

At this time, no Corpus Christi police officers or firefighters have tested positive for Covid-19, according to police spokesman Lt. Michael Pena.

Two Corpus Christi firefighter paramedics are in isolation awaiting test results after they transported a man who later tested positive for the virus from a nursing home to a hospital on Tuesday, according to another news release.

The paramedics lifted their goggles to start an IV in the ambulance and were exposed to active coughing by the patient when he removed his mask, the release said.