A Columbus, Georgia, police officer has reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus.
Police Chief Ricky Boren told WRBL on Monday his department is working to confirm the report. The officer's name and assignment will not be released, Boren said.
The Columbus Police Department employs more than 400 officers on its force.
»COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, there were 37 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Muscogee County as of Sunday night.
On Sunday, the Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed a total of 6,742 COVID-19 cases in Georgia. The total number of Georgians killed by the highly contagious disease stood at 219 that evening.
Overall, the U.S. is bracing for a painful week, with a wave of coronavirus deaths expected across the nation.
“This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment,” U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Sunday.
New York City, the U.S. epicenter, New Orleans and Detroit face especially worrying days ahead.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are striking optimistic tones, insisting that hard weeks ahead will ultimately lead to the nation beginning to turn a corner.
That optimism seemed warranted Monday morning, when stocks jumped in markets around the world, offering hope the worst of the coronavirus outbreak may be on the horizon.
U.S. stocks climbed more than 4% in the first few minutes of trading, following up on similar gains in Europe and Asia. In another sign that investors are feeling more optimistic about the economy’s path, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose toward its first gain in four days.
