New York’s paramedics unable to answer emergency calls as 20% of service ill, most with COVID-19

The coronavirus outbreak sweeping through New York City has pushed its ambulance service close to the breaking point, with hundreds of personnel out ill and emergency calls skyrocketing, supervisors and rank-and-file emergency medical technicians said on Friday.

The union representing EMS personnel said that two members of ambulance crews were on mechanical ventilators, which are used to help seriously ill patients breathe.On Thursday, EMS received more than 6,000 calls. EMS lieutenant Vincent Variale, who also heads a supervisors’ union, said, “We’ve broken every call volume record we’ve ever seen before.”

At times in recent days, up to 400 calls at a time deemed less serious had simply been left on hold, Variale said. Anthony Almojera, a Fire Department lieutenant and supervisor who goes out on EMS calls, said that even though he is a veteran, things he has seen since the pandemic hit New York have had a deep emotional impact.

The city’s ambulance service is part of the New York City Fire Department. Two workers told Reuters that ambulance personnel who remain on the job are working 16 or 17-hour days.

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Delete your ridiculous op ed from Conrad black ASAP.

But Donald said NYGovCuomo is over exaggerating.

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