How the First Responders Have Become the Last Responders
A brief story about the Los Angeles Police Department versus the pandemic
In a time when the country needs to unify to combat Covid-19, and the Delta virus, many first responders are holding out and needless to say, are putting many lives including their own in jeopardy.
The Los Angeles Police Department unvaccinated has become infected with the virus at an alarmingly high rate. According to the news, 85% of LAPD workers infected chose not to be vaccinated. According to the LA Times, 249 officers and 35 civilian employees have tested positive. Also, 10 department employees have died from Covid-19.
Nearly half of the LAPD’s workforce remains unvaccinated, a much higher percentage than the general public in L.A. County and in California. However, officials are hoping to change that soon, with the City Council requiring all city employees to be vaccinated by early October, unless they receive a medical or religious exemption.
If they still choose not to be vaccinated then they will have to submit to regular testing. There is no skating by anymore infecting the communities that they serve in and other public areas.
In the midst of the many unvaccinated around the country dying while others are becoming infected, what does it take to become assured that these viruses do not discriminate but is finding the unvaccinated on a much higher level than the vaccinated? Todate, most of the hospital cases for the viruses are with the unvaccinated.
Notably, the Delta virus which is highly transmittable more than the COVID-19, has battered the LAPD which caused a large personnel shortage on a weekly basis, some quarantined while others were hospitalized in serious condition and some deaths.
Thus far according to the LA Times, out of 12,130 employees, there have been 59 new cases last week, bringing a total of 3,036 infected since the pandemic started. Out of that number, 2,856 have returned to work after being infected while the remaining numbers of infected recovering or quarantined at home. Ten LAPD employees have died, three LAPD employees’ spouses have died from COVID-19.
What does it take for the number of LAPD unvaccinated to realize that they can literally die from the virus and/or infect others in the community, their close contacts, family, and friends?
There have been enough videos on the news regarding the anti-vaccinated on their dying beds warning others not to be foolish in their decisions but to get vaccinated. Even, the widows of LAPD personnel who died from COVID-19 has urged the LAPD via a video to get vaccinated.
As long as the anti-vaccinated LAPD personnel can skate around getting vaccinated they will do so, the commanding and high ranking officers who hopefully are not a part of the problem but the solution needs to enforce rules for vaccination and mask-wearing based on maintaining employment.
Countless times, the LAPD on social media, the news, or in the community has been seen interacting with the public without wearing a mask. Also, the union needs to step up to the plate to fight the war against the unvaccinated and not sit idle by as many die or become infected. It has been noted that the police union urged vaccination as well, but that does not seem to be working. Now is the time for plan b, mandate vaccination, and mask-wearing like any other job requirement, end of the story.
In conclusion, the rate of infections surrounding the unvaccinated is six times greater than the rate among vaccinated. The LAPD, as first responders, should be a part of the solution and not the problem. The time is now, because tomorrow may be too late.
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