According to a report from the Orlando Sentinel, 90 firefighters and paramedics from the Reedy Creek Fire Department has been exposed to COVID-19. This represents 44% of the 205-person workforce. The outbreak comes after two employees tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of July. So far, 10 employees have contracted COVID-19.
Eryka Washington, communications director for the Reedy Creek Improvement District, said that the figures cited by the union were incorrect, but that the district couldn’t share the correct numbers.
Jon Shirey, president of the Reedy Creek Firefighters Association, said that employees do not receive workers’ compensation for COVID-19 and must use personal time off or sick days to complete their quarantine. As a result, Shirey believes that many are coming to work with COVID-19 symptoms and are not getting tested for fear of having to use time off.
A new policy regarding the employee’s need to use personal time off or sick days for quarantining went into effect in June.
“It’s unfortunate that we work for probably one of the wealthiest corporations in America … and they’ve chosen profits over people”, Shirey said about the new policy.
Most of the firefighters in the workforce are vaccinated against COVID-19.
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