NYPD sees first coronavirus death in ranks, Deputy Commissioner John Miller tests positive
The situation in New York City is worsening every single day and now, the city’s acclaimed police department has faced death too. On Thursday, March 26, New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Dermot Shea confirmed the first death in its ranks because of coronavirus. The deceased was identified as Dennis Dickson, a custodial assistant, who served the department for 14 years and passed away at the Kings County Hospital.
In another shocking news that emanated from the department, Deputy Commissioner John Miller tested positive. He was undergoing treatment in the city's Lenox Hill Hospital. It was also reported that the top-ranked cop was in good spirits and taking calls from family and friends throughout the day. Miller, who is also the department’s counter-terrorism head, is the third member of the NYPD executive team after Deputy Commissioner for Employee Relations Robert L Ganley and NYPD Transit Bureau Chief Edward Delatorre to test positive last week.
Shea said in a statement emailed to Newsweek that the department is “deeply saddened” over its “first coronavirus pandemic casualty”. “Mr. Dickson was a revered member of the custodial staff at Police Headquarters once spending 17 days at the headquarters building during Super Storm Sandy assisting with emergency cleanup operations,” Shea said. The NYPD also condoled Dickson's demise on Twitter.
“Mr. Dickson was again on the front line cleaning and disinfecting 1 Police Plaza so that our personnel could be here safely, allowing them to continue to serve the people of the City of New York.” he added. Dickson was 62 and had a pre-existing heart condition.
Nearly nine percent of the NYPD’s uniformed officers called out sick on Wednesday, March 25. Nearly 200 officers were reportedly suffering from COVID-19 besides 39 civilian staff members. On Monday, March 23, seven percent called in sick.
The number of confirmed cases in the NYPD is rapidly increasing. Till Thursday, March 26, at least 350 members tested positive for coronavirus as the city struggled to contain the spread. Two days ago, the department confirmed that over 200 employees had tested positive.
NY is witnessing a massive surge in positive cases
The New York state has seen over 30,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus with most of them being reported in New York City. The Empire State’s hospitals have been overwhelmed even as the projected rate of hospitalizations for coronavirus patients appears to be going down, Newsday reported on Wednesday, March 25. Thousands of retired medical professionals were volunteering to confront the crisis while a five-star Manhattan hotel was offering to provide free accommodation to health-care workers.
Till March 26, the US saw over 63,000 cases of COVID-19 with 884 deaths and more than half of them were in New York state. Governor Andrew Cuomo said around 15 percent of the cases in his state needed hospitalization and appealed for help from the federal government, private businesses and general public.
The Democrat also asked people to maintain social distancing and stay at home, advising that the worst has yet not been witnessed. He compared the situation with a "bullet train".