With Super Bowl events just a few weeks away, COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc with the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, with about 2,500 personnel either home sick or quarantining due to the coronavirus.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday that the virus is having a “substantial impact on our deployment,” as about 1,300 of his staff are out. Meanwhile, about 1,200 sheriff’s personnel are out.
Moore said there has been a surge in breakthrough cases among vaccinated staff, and those now account for half of all those infected among his sworn and civilian personnel, despite 83% of the staff being vaccinated.
“What we’re following very closely is this impact on our deployment numbers as we approach the Super Bowl week of celebration and events here,” Moore said.
Moore added that “we are looking at contingency planning” as the department monitors the number of personnel who are currently out of work due to the virus.
Initially, numbers showed the new Omicron variant had surged through unvaccinated staff faster than those who are vaccinated. But as the numbers of those testing positive for the virus rose, it began infecting those vaccinated as well. On Jan. 1, 22.2% of LAPD personnel testing positive were vaccinated, compared to about half now.
Moore said some of the 1,300 employees who are out are caring for family members.
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