A disagreement surrounding COVID-19 quarantine protocols has sparked a dispute in Cranston, after the mayor’s office ordered firefighters exposed to infected co-workers to return to work while waiting for test results.
Four Cranston firefighters have tested positive and at one point about 40 coworkers were in quarantine. That total has since fallen to 17, according to union president Scott Robinson.
Based on federal health guidelines, Robinson said the union worked with Fire Chief Stephen McIntosh and the city EMS Director Paul Casey to create a city policy that allows firefighters to quarantine for five days before getting tested.
Robinson said the idea is to allow the virus some time to incubate so infected firefighters might start showing symptoms, which would prevent someone who might initially be asymptomatic from rushing back to work and getting others sick.