Joseph Ostapiuk
Staten Island Advance, N.Y.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The FDNY is enduring a rise of COVID-19-related absences amid a surge of the omicron variant in New York City.
Instances of medical leave are up across the department, according to FDNY spokesman Jim Long, with approximately 10% of firefighters and 16% of EMS workers calling out sick. The uptick, Long said, is “largely due” to an increase of COVID-19 cases.
Currently, 94% of the department is vaccinated, department data shows. That total represents a stark rise from a department-wide rate of 82% in early November and an even-lower 77% in late October, before city mandates were put into effect.
Last month, the department was initiating a complex deployment strategy to address staffing needs caused by the combined effects of the city’s mandate and call-outs, which union representatives said were the byproduct of firefighters dealing with typical fatigue caused by vaccination.
The NYPD’s current vaccination rate is 88%, according to Sgt. Edward Riley, a department spokesman. The number of officers out on sick leave was not immediately available.
With new cases skyrocketing in New York City, health experts noted that the new variant — which has become predominant in the United States — is extraordinarily virulent. However, officials said vaccination still offers protection against the most severe disease outcomes, including hospitalization and death.
Staten Island hospitals have seen a consistent rise in new hospitalizations in recent weeks, and hospital representatives said the vast majority of intubated patients are unvaccinated.
Unvaccinated individuals make up the vast majority of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths throughout New York City, according to city Health Department data.
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