On April 4, a police officer who contracted COVID-19 died in Mexico City and local authorities confirmed at least 9 officers have contracted coronavirus and other 59 were tested. Now several questions arise: did the have equipment to protect themselves? Are there protocols they must follow amid the health emergency ? What would happen if law enforcement is affected by the loss of staff due to the virus ?
Until last week, the New Yor Police Department reported 1,200 police officers has contracted COVID-19 and 5,200 were not on duty for health reasons; this means 15% of the staff couldn’t be at work.
Besides the healthcare workers who are face to face with the virus, very little has been said about those who can’t stay home because their labor is essential for society, those who are at a higher risk because they are out on the streets and are in contact with dozens of people every day. People like police officers, janitors , public transport drivers , and staff at Mexico City’s subway system.
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Inside Mexico City’s police , workers are demanding more protective measure s since the majority of them patrol the streets, the metro, hospitals, or supermarkets; places that are still crowded.
Today, EL UNIVERSAL published the testimony of a local police officer who explains that just now, weeks after Mexico declared a health emergency , they are being handed masks and gloves but that there are not enough for everyone.
National and International health authorities have insisted that people with diabetes , high blood pressure , obesity , smokers , and the elder are at a higher risk because their condition could rapidly decline if they contract coronavirus ; however, those who work on the streets, surrounded by a lot of people, haven’t received much attention.
Authorities have recently recognized the “sacrifice” and “responsibility” of police officers but amid the COVID-19 pandemic , this must translate into protection. Now that the country is going through a health emergency, nor Mexico City, nor the country can afford to lose essential workers as a result of the lack of protective equipment .
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