Widespread testing among local first responders suggests the COVID-19 virus has hardly touched the demographic with the highest risk of exposure in the community outside hospital workers.
About 70 Long Hill police officers, firefighters and first aid squad members volunteered to undergo antibody testing at Summit Medical Center in early May. The test, which is available to the general public, can indicate whether a person has contracted and recovered from COVID-19.
Only three of the emergency personnel who participated - two from the fire companies and one from the first aid squad - tested positive for antibodies, according to Mayor Brendan Rae. Police Chief Ahmed Naga confirmed 18 officers and one civilian staff member from the department underwent testing, but all results were negative.