Police responses have been unaffected by an increase in officers quarantined under coronavirus rules, the Bermuda Police Service said today.

Acting Assistant Commissioner for Operations Na’imah Astwood added that the BPS was prepared for any further rise in infections among its employees.

She said: “The Bermuda Police Service can confirm there has been an uptick in the number of Covid-19 quarantined persons for both police support staff and police officers.

“To date, this has not impacted response policing.

“Our Covid-19 plan provides for shift changes and the temporary diversion of staff to core policing duties.

“As previously indicated, the reserves have been embodied to assist with compliance checks for the new regulations.”

The BPS did not provide figures for how many of its employees were off work or in quarantine.

Ms Astwood added: “To further mitigate the effects of Covid, we have taken steps to limit public access to our facilities and established protocols for responding to calls for service.

“Where possible, staff are being advised to work from home.

“Staff are provided with the necessary personal protective equipment to perform their functions as safely as possible and cleaning routinely occurs.

“That notwithstanding, given the current climate, it is foreseeable that we may be faced with more positive cases, however, there are protocols in place for addressing that situation.”