Balcaen doesn’t expect virus outbreak at BPS

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This article was published 03/12/2020 (1911 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The three cases of COVID-19 among Brandon Police Service employees are connected, but the city’s police chief says he doesn’t believe they will lead to a further outbreak.

The first case of the virus announced among BPS employees was on Nov. 23, when the City of Brandon reported someone in the police service’s bylaw unit had tested positive.

The second case came shortly after, on Nov. 25, when the city announced a civilian employee of the police service tested positive. The third case came the next day, on Nov. 26, when another civilian employee tested positive.

All three employees either worked together or were in close proximity, Brandon police Chief Wayne Balcaen said.

“They either had work areas where they worked together in or may have been together in a vehicle,” he said.

“From the outset of COVID, we’ve followed provincial guidelines regarding physical spacing, regarding use of masks when they were mandated, the sanitation or workspaces, washing hands or using hand sanitizer.”

A fourth case at Brandon police headquarters was announced on Monday — an employee of a “partner agency” and not connected to the initial three cases, Balcaen said.

“It’s unfortunate that these positive cases occurred in our workplace, however, we were following and will continue to follow all of the health guidelines in regards to the preventative avenues,” he said.

The province’s chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, said Tuesday he had no specific information on the cases stemming from Brandon police headquarters.

“I don’t have any specific information to share on that. Like any cases, the case and contact investigation are done at the regional level, but I don’t have any specifics to share on that issue.

While Balcaen said he is not too concerned about further outbreak from the initial three cases as it has been nearly two weeks since the first positive test, the prospect of cases in the police service is something he is always cognizant of. Officers follow the provincial health guidelines and wear personal protective equipment, but the people they interact with don’t always.

“We do see from emergency services that we don’t control where our members get dispatched. If there’s a call for service, be it bylaw staff or police staff attend to different residences or buildings that may not be following all of the suggested health guidelines,” he said.

The City of Brandon anticipated some COVID-19 cases in its workforce, said acting city manager Dean Hammond, and does internal contract tracing to notify people who may have been exposed.

The city is encouraging people to work from home when possible and either ensures physical distancing or puts up barriers between employees, Hammond said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, a total of seven city employees had tested positive for the virus — including the three at the Brandon Police Service.

» dmay@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @DrewMay_