LAPD officers attend the funeral of LAPD Officer Valentin Martinez, the agency’s first sworn employee to die of complications from COVID-19, in August 2020. The Omicron variant is now causing a fresh wave of infections within the department. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)More than 1,000 police officers, firefighters and paramedics in the Los Angeles region were ill or at home quarantining on Tuesday after testing positive for the coronavirus, spurring additional concerns about public safety as the Omicron variant continues its rapid spread. More than 500 employees of the Los Angeles Police Department — including 416 sworn officers — were at home quarantining as of Jan. 1 after positive tests, the department said. The Los Angeles Fire Department had 201 employees out due to the coronavirus as of Tuesday, while the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department had 552 employees out, including 389 sworn deputies, officials said.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 05, 2022 17:50 UTC