A Detroit police captain has become the second member of the department to die of complications from the coronavirus.
The captain was in his 50s, Chief James Craig said Tuesday. He was not believed to have had any underlying health issues.
A 38-year-old civilian call taker in the police department’s 911 center died Monday.
The police department said Wednesday that nine officers have been confirmed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. As of Monday, more than 280 Detroit officers were off work awaiting test results or self-quarantining, although roughly 150 were expected to return by the end of the week.
Craig did not release the police captain’s name.
“He was a well respected commanding officer in the police department,” Craig told The Detroit News. “Many revered him as an iconic figure, loved by many, but followed by more.”
As of Tuesday, nearly 1,800 people had tested positive in Michigan for the coronavirus. Roughly 73% of cases — about 1,300 — were in Wayne County, which is home to Detroit, or adjacent Oakland County. COVID-19 deaths in Michigan, meanwhile, climbed by nine on Tuesday, to at least 24.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warned that Beaumont Health, which has eight hospitals in Wayne and Oakland counties, was nearing capacity. She has issued a stay-at-home order for the state.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.