Thousands of New York Police Department (NYPD) officers are on sick leave following a coronavirus outbreak within the force.
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea confirmed on Tuesday that approximately 3,200 NYPD officers were out. Of the officers out on sick leave, more than 200 officers — 177 uniformed officers and 34 civilian officers — have tested positive for the coronavirus.
According to the statistics, the number of officers equates to approximately 8% of the entire force.
While local citizens are practicing social distancing to flatten the curve, Shea admits that he is seeing the opposite within the law enforcement agency.
“It’s a trend as you talk about what we’ve seen and what we’re trying to do with social distancing, and lowering the curve what we’re seeing internally as an agency on the frontlines is we are still on an upward climb,” Shea said.
During an interview with “Fox & Friends,” Blue Lives Matter NYC founder Joseph Imperatrice has also weighed in to share details about what life is like for the officers on duty.
“Not only are officers expected to go out there and still do their job but they also have to be worried about going out there and contracting the virus and bringing it back home to their families,” Imperatrice said.
He also noted that the officers out would be under a 14-day self-quarantine just like any other citizen if they believe they have been in contact with someone who has the coronavirus.
“So if they believe they are in contact, a lot of individuals — just like everyone else around the world — [would sit out] for the next 7 to 14 days to make sure that maybe they don’t have it and they’re not coming down with it and they can protect their families,” he added.
See the interview below:
The latest news follows a string of coronavirus press briefings from both the White House and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D). The state is now on a stay-at-home order in an effort to flatten the curve.
New York has more than 26,000 positive coronavirus cases, statewide, as of publication.