Three VPD officers test positive for coronavirus after reportedly breaking up party

Three officers with the Vancouver Police Department have tested positive for COVID-19, after reportedly breaking up a party of 100-plus people.

On Twitter, Vancouver Police Union President Ralph Kaisers shared the news while urging people to “please party responsibly.”

Please party responsibly. 2 entire patrol teams of VPD members are off in isolation because of an out of control 100+ person party they had to respond to. 3 members have now tested positive

— Ralph Kaisers (@rkaisers) August 7, 2020

VPD Const. Tania Visintin also confirmed the three cases with Daily Hive and said the affected members “are isolating at home,” but said she had no specific information about a party or how the virus was contracted.

• See also:
  • Over 40 people caught coronavirus after party in Vancouver Coastal Health: Henry
  • BC health officials report 53 new coronavirus cases
  • Squamish Tim Hortons closed after employee tests positive for coronavirus

The news comes the same week that BC health officials said a recent party that occurred in the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) region resulted in more than 40 individuals testing positive for COVID-19.

“It was up to 45 or 46 people who were associated with a party,” Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry told reporters.

Parties and large gatherings have been addressed by health officials on multiple occasions, both at the provincial and federal levels. Many of these events occurred over the month of July and is one of the reasons for a higher number of cases in younger demographics.

And with more than 1,500 people currently in quarantine across BC due to potential coronavirus exposure, Henry said that “a good portion of them are related to those types of social settings.”

“That’s our warning right now,” she said.” That’s where we’re seeing the virus get a chance to transmit to potentially large numbers of people.”