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Source: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/...n-christmas-as-omicron-wave-sickens-city.html
New York City faces shortage of EMS crews on Christmas as Omicron wave sickens city
Roughly 19% of the city’s 4,000 EMS workers were out sick on Saturday, up from the typical rate of about 5%, officials say.
By Thomas TracyClayton Guse New York Daily News
Sat., Dec. 25, 2021timer2 min. read
Article was updated 7 mins ago
NEW YORK—All they wanted for Christmas was more help.
The FDNY faced a shortage of EMS crews over the holiday, stretching the department thin as it struggled to respond to a surge of emergency calls made worse by the Omicron wave.
Roughly 19% of the city’s more than 4,000 EMS workers were out sick Saturday, Christmas Day, up from the typical rate of about 5%, an FDNY spokesman said.
The shortage — caused in part by crews isolating with COVID-19 cases — comes as the city’s daily number of cases continued a record breaking streak.
New York state figures show there were more than 27,000 confirmed cases of the virus in the city in the 24-hour period ending Friday morning, and a positivity rate of more than 10%. City hospitalization rates, however, remain lower than previous pandemic peaks.
But Anthony Alomojera, vice president of Local 3621 — the FDNY’s EMS officers union — pointed out there’s still been a rush of unvaccinated New Yorkers with COVID-19 who need ambulances.
“Christmas Day is usually not that busy,” said Alomojera. “This isn’t people falling down and breaking their legs. It’s COVID related.”
The FDNY over the holiday got about 4,500 ambulance calls per day. With too few crews to get the job done, FDNY brass on Friday eliminated the department’s cap on overtime work for EMS workers — and will allow crews to work shifts of up to 18 hours “at their discretion,” according to a department memo...
New York City faces shortage of EMS crews on Christmas as Omicron wave sickens city
Roughly 19% of the city’s 4,000 EMS workers were out sick on Saturday, up from the typical rate of about 5%, officials say.
By Thomas TracyClayton Guse New York Daily News
Sat., Dec. 25, 2021timer2 min. read
Article was updated 7 mins ago
NEW YORK—All they wanted for Christmas was more help.
The FDNY faced a shortage of EMS crews over the holiday, stretching the department thin as it struggled to respond to a surge of emergency calls made worse by the Omicron wave.
Roughly 19% of the city’s more than 4,000 EMS workers were out sick Saturday, Christmas Day, up from the typical rate of about 5%, an FDNY spokesman said.
The shortage — caused in part by crews isolating with COVID-19 cases — comes as the city’s daily number of cases continued a record breaking streak.
New York state figures show there were more than 27,000 confirmed cases of the virus in the city in the 24-hour period ending Friday morning, and a positivity rate of more than 10%. City hospitalization rates, however, remain lower than previous pandemic peaks.
But Anthony Alomojera, vice president of Local 3621 — the FDNY’s EMS officers union — pointed out there’s still been a rush of unvaccinated New Yorkers with COVID-19 who need ambulances.
“Christmas Day is usually not that busy,” said Alomojera. “This isn’t people falling down and breaking their legs. It’s COVID related.”
The FDNY over the holiday got about 4,500 ambulance calls per day. With too few crews to get the job done, FDNY brass on Friday eliminated the department’s cap on overtime work for EMS workers — and will allow crews to work shifts of up to 18 hours “at their discretion,” according to a department memo...
