New York City’s health commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot blew off an urgent NYPD request for 500,000 surgical masks as coronavirus cases were surging through the police force.
Barbot made the cavalier remark during a phone conversation with NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan.
Monahan asked Barbot for 500,000 masks but she said she could only provide 50,000, claiming she needed the masks for others, and told him, “I don’t give two rats’ asses about your cops.”
New York City’s health commissioner blew off an urgent NYPD request for 500,000 surgical masks as the coronavirus crisis mounted — telling a high-ranking police official that “I don’t give two rats’ asses about your copshttps://t.co/9R5E19wTz9
— Yashar Ali ???? (@yashar) May 14, 2020
However New York City quickly became a coronavirus hot zone and it became clear that was not going to be enough. By the end of the first week in April, nearly 20% of the police department was out sick with coronavirus symptoms. Additionally, 500 firefighters had tested positive for the virus and a total of about 3,000 firefighters and paramedics were sick, the Daily Caller reports.
According to figures released Wednesday evening The NYPD has recorded 41 deaths.
The number of #NYPD members confirmed to have #coronavirus has grown by 200+ since my interview earlier this week. How will the dept handle the added stress on its workforce? @NYPDChiefofDept Terence Monahan shared the details with @MetroFocus: https://t.co/jyPHUqNsFx
— Maddie Orton (@MaddieOrton) April 2, 2020
After the exchange Monahan sent an “SOS” email to White House officials asking for protective equipment. Peter Navarro, who is serving as Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy and the national Defense Production Act policy coordinator quickly responded.
Upon learning of Barbot’s heated exchange, police officers and several police unions are calling for her to be fired.