Coronavirus Philadelphia: Growing Concern COVID-19 Spreading Among First Responders As City Officials Stay Silent
UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) -- A third SEPTA employee has died from the coronavirus. Now, there are growing concerns about the spread of COVID-19 among Philadelphia's first responders.
Some projections show that this pandemic in the area will crest in about 10 days.
City leaders are scrambling to make sense of what that means for hospitals, but what we're not hearing and seeing is the full picture of this and how it's affecting public workers, including fire, police and EMS.
On Thursday, SEPTA will move to what it's calling a lifeline service schedule. Services will see major modifications and it follows news that three SEPTA employees have died from COVID-19 complications.
Seventy-six SEPTA workers have tested positive for the coronavirus.
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The City of Philadelphia still won't say how many of its police, fire and EMS are in quarantine.
Repeated questions from reporters on the city's position regarding numbers drew this response from Managing Director Brian Abernathy.
"Frankly, I'm going to be a little bit cranky right now, so I apologize. I'm not sure how it is in your best interest for us to report police officers or any other city staff for you all to write about it. I certainly would love for all of you to write about the positive cases in your departments," Abernathy said.
Meanwhile, documents obtained by Eyewitness News show 46 members of the city's fire and emergency medical departments have tested positive, as of Monday.
Another 145 members are in quarantine, waiting for test results.
In a letter shared with Eyewitness News, Local 22 indicated the city administration, not the fire department, asked that they not publicly reveal the numbers of their members affected.
The union wrote there was fake news spreading out there, which would cause some panic.
A Local 22 spokesperson confirmed the letter was authentic.
"I'm not sure if it was a letter or an email, initially, Local 22 provided detailed information to the press. They got out in front of our position and we wanted to have a conversation with Local 22 about the release of information, which I think they complied with," Abernathy said. "I don't think there's nothing nefarious around the requests by any means."
Local 22 released a statement saying, "Local 22 is in compliance with all reporting requirements and is working well with the city administration through the COVID-19 pandemic. Philadelphia's citizens can rest assured that the city's firefighters and paramedics are on the job, despite the enormous challenges they face in these dangerous times."
As Eyewitness News reported Monday, more than 50 members of the police department had COVID-19. Two hundred or more Philadelphia Police personnel are said to be in quarantine.
Lt. James Walker died Sunday night from COVID-19 complications.
Sources confirm to Eyewitness News that Commissioner Danielle Outlaw has not been at headquarters for days. City leaders say the head of the nation's sixth-largest department is well.
"The police commissioner is working from home because that is what she felt was in her best interest and the department's best interest at this point," Abernathy said. "Again, we're not going to comment on any quarantine or isolation or testing."
John McNesby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he continues to work with the city to execute safe policing.
"Masks, gloves, hand sanitizer -- we're getting that out as quick as we can," McNesby said. "Unfortunately, it's tough to find and there's no model for this. This was not expected. We're buying everything that we can and I know the city is also buying what they can. We're trying to get it out there as quick as we can."
Call volumes are still being attended to for police and fire and they're still being managed properly.
