COVID-19 GUIDELINES for CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS:

LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO EXPOSED WORKFORCE

March 26, 2020

OVERVIEW AND DEFINITIONS

This document provides guidance for law enforcement agencies that experience exposures within their workforce to the COVID 19 Coronavirus to allow for agency Continuity of Operations.  This guidance was developed in cooperation with the Illinois State Police, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and state medical personnel.

Addendum 1 provides a decision matrix outlining recommended staffing direction given various levels of exposure to agency personnel. 

Addendum 2 summarizes the various levels of exposure to personnel. 

Addendum 3 is a model information-gathering tool for supervisory personnel to assess the level of exposure and the nature of the exposure incident.  This list is not exhaustive, and agencies can customize it to their needs.

Addendum 4 is guidance from the DHS on COVID 19 Testing Site procedures and protocol. 

Addendum 5 is the location and directions of dedicated First Responder Testing locations.

Addendum 6 - IDPH COVID 19 Guidance Document.

Addendum 7 - Illinois State Police Model Arrestee Medical Screening Form

Addendum 8 is ILACP-recommended facility and personal equipment decontamination procedures.

Addendum 9 is the recommended PPE for Officers.

Addendum 10 has new isolation guidelines and examples of mask use.

Addendum 11 has guidelines for reusing masks (yes, it's possible!) and conservation of masks.

The more extensive ILACP COVID-19 RESOURCE CENTER FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT IS HERE.

Definitions (according to CDC):

Isolation means the separation of a person or group of people known or reasonably believed to be infected with a communicable disease and potentially infectious from those who are not infected to prevent spread of the communicable disease. Isolation for public health purposes may be voluntary or compelled by federal, state, or local public health order.

Quarantine in general means the separation of a person or group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to a communicable disease but not yet symptomatic, from others who have not been so exposed, to prevent the possible spread of the communicable disease.

Congregate settings are crowded public places where close contact with others may occur, such as shopping centers, movie theaters, stadiums.

Social distancing means remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible.

Self-monitoring means people should monitor themselves for fever by taking their temperatures twice a day and remain alert for cough or difficulty breathing. Anyone on self-monitoring should be provided a plan for whom to contact if they develop fever or respiratory symptoms during the self-monitoring period to determine whether medical evaluation is needed.


Active monitoring
means that the state or local public health authority assumes responsibility for establishing regular communication with potentially exposed people to assess for the presence of fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. For people with high-risk exposures, CDC recommends that this communication occurs at least once each day. The mode of communication can be determined by the state or local public health authority and may include telephone calls or any electronic or internet-based means of communication.

Close contact is defined as:

a) being within approximately 6 feet (2 meters) of a COVID-19 case for a prolonged period of time; close contact can occur while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a healthcare waiting area or room with a COVID-19 case.

– or –

b) having direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (e.g., being coughed on)