2 more NYPD employees die amid coronavirus pandemic
(Courtesy of NYPD)
NEW YORK - Two more employees of the New York City Police Department have died of apparent coronavirus-related causes, the department said on Monday.
School Safety Agent Sabrina Jefferson died on Sunday.
Administrative aide Gwendolyn King died on Monday.
Sabrina Jefferson
Jefferson, who was assigned to Patrol Borough Queens South School Safety in the 113th Precinct in Queens, died of complications from the coronavirus, officials said. She joined the NYPD in 1994.
Gwendolyn King
King was a senior police administrative aide in Police Service Area 3, which patrols 22 NYCHA properties in Brooklyn. She also joined the department in 1994.
Test results that might confirm that King was infected by the coronavirus were pending, police said.
Through Monday, 824 uniformed members and 106 civilian members of the department had tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the NYPD. Almost 5,200 uniformed members were out sick on Monday. That is more than 14% of the uniformed workforce.
Several other members of the NYPD have died of COVID-19-related causes in recent days, including a detective assigned to a precinct in Harlem.
As part of the response to the coronavirus outbreak, the NYPD has been patrolling the city to make sure that people are keeping their distance from each other, that group events aren't taking place, and that non-essential businesses are closed.
Police officers visited more than 15,000 businesses and public spaces in 24 hours from Sunday morning through Monday morning, the NYPD said.
"The members of the NYPD are doing a phenomenal job in the face of this pandemic — truly remarkable work in uncharted territory," Police Commissioner Dermot Shea tweeted on Friday. "I appreciate each and every one of them, and I know NYers do too. I thank them for all that they do."