All of Puerto Rico’s 911 call centres were shut down Wednesday night after several employees tested positive for the coronavirus, officials announced.
Public Safety Secretary Pedro Janer said people should call the island’s emergency management agency at 787-724-0124 or police at 787-343-2020 in an emergency. He said both agencies are operating 24 hours a day.
It is the first time the U.S. territory has shut down its 911 call centres.
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Janer said the buildings will be thoroughly cleaned and he will soon announce when operations at the 911 call centres will resume.
It’s unclear how many employees tested positive. A spokeswoman did not immediately return a message asking for comment.
The island of 3.2 million people has reported more than 29,700 confirmed cases of coronavirus infections. It has had more than 770 deaths from COVID-19, the disease that can be caused by the virus.
© 2020 The Canadian Press
