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Many motorists have wondered this about the roadblocks in the Outaouais and on the five interprovincial bridges to Quebec: Why are police officers usually not wearing masks?

Neither will this news comfort: The head of the 450-member police union in Gatineau says one officer has tested positive for the coronavirus and is, fortunately, nearly fully recovered.

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His rank and duties have not been released but union president Steve Spooner says the officer’s contacts were traced for about 18 days prior to test results and about 10 fellow officers went into isolation as a precaution.

CBC has reported that, in the week leading up to Good Friday, about 43,000 vehicles had been stopped by Gatineau police, with a turn-around rate of about six per cent. Other West Quebec forces say the rejection rates at checkpoints near cottage country has been as high as 12 per cent some days.

Spooner said the absence of masks at checkpoints over the bridges is not due to a shortage in equipment, which is an ongoing problem for the Ottawa Police Service. He said every officer, in fact, likely has three types of masks, including an N95 and the surgical variety that is sometimes put on suspects being arrested.