30 to 40 EP Firefighters Quarantined After One Tests Positive

City officials announced on Monday that an El Paso city firefighter tested positive for the coronavirus, which then meant 30 to 40 others were quarantined.

City Manager Tommy Gonzalez made the announcement when questioned about the testing of first-responders during a virtual City Council meeting. Gonzalez said that the firefighter had been traveling and that he wasn't currently showing any symptoms. Gonzalez couldn't comment any further due to health privacy laws.

Here is a message from the Fire Chief.

This goes to show you how this can spread so quickly. The firefighter isn't even showing symptoms and he's positive, and more than likely contagious. Now you see why social distancing and staying at home is so important. Recently here in El Paso we got graded with an 'F' on these factors.

Just think about this. You walk into a store behind someone who has the coronavirus, but isn't showing any symptoms. They just touched their mouth and now they touched the door handle. You then touch the same door handle. You now have it.

But you don't show symptoms for at least a few days. Through contact with other objects and just close proximity, you give the virus to 10 more people. In just a few more days, those 10 people give it to 10 more people each. That's up to 100 total people in just a few days, from one.

Please, stay home, and keep your distance.