SEE IT: NYPD Detective With Coronavirus Leaves LI Hospital

ASTORIA, QUEENS — An NYPD detective assigned to Astoria's local police precinct was discharged Wednesday from the hospital, where he spent nearly a month battling COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

Det. Douglas Moncayo left Saint Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown, New York, to an audience of NYPD colleagues celebrating his recovery with cowbells, applause and handmade signs, according to a video shared by the police department.

Moncayo, who is assigned to the 114th Precinct in Astoria, was hospitalized on April 3 with the new coronavirus, a police spokesperson told Patch.

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The virus at one point left him in critical condition, according to an NYPD tweet.

What a GREAT DAY for us all here at the 114th Precinct. Det. Moncayo, who tested COVID 19 positive and was in critical condition at one point, recovered and today was sent home. Help us wish Det. Moncayo a SPEEDY RECOVERY @NYPDnews @NYPDQueensNorth pic.twitter.com/mZOGAWOy3B
— NYPD 114th Precinct (@NYPD114Pct) April 29, 2020

Moncayo joined the NYPD in 2000, a police spokesperson said.

Nearly 5,000 members of the NYPD had tested positive for the new coronavirus as of Wednesday, according to the police. About 4,000 have returned to full work duties after recovering from the virus, and 37 members died.

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