Notwithstanding any general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any public safety official, which shall include any individuals employed as police, fire personnel, correction officers, dispatchers, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, nursing professionals, and all individuals employed and considered as 1st responders, who contract, have symptoms of or otherwise becomes affected with the Coronavirus (COVID-19), that results in a period of hospitalization, quarantine, or require self-quarantined measures as a result of being infected or coming into contact with someone who is infected with this virus, shall have their medical condition or incapacity to work presumed to be work- related.

The amount of time said public safety official is incapacitated or unable to perform their duties as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection or exposure and the required time of hospitalization, time of quarantine or time of self-quarantine shall be considered as on duty time, and said public safety official shall not be required to use his or her sick time, vacation time, personal time or any other contractual time-off to cover said period of incapacitation or inability to perform regular duty work. This time of incapacitation or inability to perform their duties shall only be considered as “EMERGENCY HAZARD HEALTH DUTY”.