Four Fayetteville firefighters are in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, the city’s mayor said.

Mayor Ed Johnson confirmed the diagnosis in a virtual update addressed to Fayetteville residents on Thursday.

» COMPLETE COVERAGE: Coronavirus in Georgia

“All four personnel are from the same fire station,” he said. “They have had minimal contact with the public.”

Johnson said the city hired a professional cleaning company to deep-clean City Hall and all three of Fayetteville’s fire stations.

For weeks, the number of coronavirus cases in Georgia has grown, reaching more than 12,500 statewide Sunday. As of Sunday evening, Fayette County had 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and four people within the county had died from the disease.

In his address,  the mayor applauded first responders and other professionals working to mitigate the spread of the novel virus and “providing essential services to the City of Fayetteville.”

“Words of thanks and encouragement seem inadequate to those who are on the front line fighting to save lives while putting your own health at risk,” Johnson said.

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The large tree fell overnight