Policing has ‘come at a cost’ as 5K officers infected, 36 fatalities – Cele

Police Minister Bheki Cele says policing during the Covid-19 pandemic has “come at a cost” to the South African Police Service , saying 5 000 officers became infected and 36 lost their lives.“I am addressing you as a police minister who is appreciative of the hard work you have put in over the past three months,” Cele told officers.

To date, the police have manned more than 14 000 roadblocks, maintained high visibility and patrols on beaches, at taxi ranks, markets, malls, main streets and other areas of potential mass gatherings, to ensure social distancing.“The virus has infected over 5 000 SAPS members, resulting in the decontamination of hundreds of police stations across the country. Sadly, Covid-19 has claimed the lives of 36 members,” the minister said.

“Remember, there is a 24/7 Covid-19 hotline in place to ensure continuous support to infected and affected SAPS members and their families.” “I want to thank officers for rendering effective services at police stations, especially to victims of domestic and gender-based violence.”

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