New guidelines are in place to help monitor the health of police officers during the COVID-19 pandemic and in Washington the schools are lending a hand. Washington Police Chief Jim Lester provided an update at this week’s Washington City Council meeting. He shared what officers are doing daily and how the Washington School District helped, “Part of our guidance does call for officers to monitor their temperatures at the beginning and end of each of their shifts. We were unable to purchase thermometers to do that, but the school has stepped up and loaned us two thermometers, so we are using those at the PD and City Hall. We have had a few complaints on reports of social distancing violations. Our approach on that is to just educate the public. Stay away from each other and follow the guidelines the governor has put out there.”

The Iowa Department of Public Health is urging people to practice social distancing by maintaining six feet of distance between people when in public, and by staying home as much as possible. Lester adds that officers have helped with mini-parades for local children celebrating birthdays at home.