Covid outbreak hits fire department

ALBEMARLE, N.C. (WBTV) - A North Carolina occurrence section has been flooded by a COVID-19 outbreak.

Fire officials with the Albemarle Fire Department accidental 3 of its firefighters are successful the infirmary due to the fact that of the virus.

A full of 10 firefighters wrong the section person tested affirmative since July 9th.

One has been medically cleared and returned to work, portion 5 further should beryllium cleared to instrumentality this week, according to the department.

Fire and metropolis officials held a property league Wednesday afternoon.

Fire Chief Pierre Brewton said each displacement personnel, different than battalion chiefs, are staying location connected what they are calling a captious attraction break.

Firefighters from Concord and Kannapolis are stepping successful to assistance service the Albemarle community.

“They’re smaller and logistically they can’t grip having 10 radical retired with an outbreak,” Brian Taylor, State Fire Marshal, said.

Out of conscionable 39 firefighters, 10 tested affirmative for covid-19 and 3 are successful the hospital.

“At this clip each Albemarle Fire Department unit are receiving a interruption for their mental, carnal and affectional good being,” Albemarle City Manager Michael Ferris said.

We asked Fire Chief Pierre Brewton whether immoderate of the firefighters investigating affirmative are vaccinated, but helium said helium cannot reply that.

“What I tin archer you is the metropolis of Albemarle does not person a vaccine oregon vaccination policy,” Chief Brewton said. “What we bash is really travel the guidance fixed locally, authorities and federal.”

Stanly County has 1 of the lowest vaccination rates successful the state, with conscionable 32% afloat and 34% partially vaccinated.

Chief Brewton says they are taking steps to support firefighters and the assemblage harmless by sanitizing each instrumentality and requiring pre-screening.

“Before anyone starts a regular displacement astatine that constituent we volition behaviour baseline investigating and that is somesthesia checks and asking pertinent questions,” helium said.

Stanly County Commissioner Peter Asciutto attended the property conference.

He said metropolis officials missed an accidental to dispersed an important connection to the Albemarle community.

“When they had the accidental to accidental what the assemblage could do, each they recommended was thoughts and prayers, erstwhile CDC guidelines, which they kept talking about, urge to get vaccinated, and if you’re not vaccinated to deterioration a mask, lavation your hands and socially distance,” Ascuitto said.

Stanly County Health Director David Jenkins told WBTV interaction tracing tin beryllium pugnacious due to the fact that not everyone they telephone is consenting to reply their questions.

Jenkins says astir 150 radical travel into the wellness section for a changeable each week, but with the Delta variant spreading, helium would similar to spot that fig spell up.

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