(Photo by Benjamin Voros on Unsplash)
Oct. 13, 2020 By Allie Griffin
Five EMS members of an Astoria squad recently tested positive for COVID-19.
The five members are part of EMS station 49, located at 25-3 Hoyt Ave., and are out on medical leave as they quarantine and recover, according to an FDNY spokesperson.
The spokesperson said that the department is closely monitoring the situation and that city officials are performing contact tracing and testing to stop further spread of the virus.
The infection rate among FDNY and EMS members remains low when compared to the height of the pandemic.
For several months, less than three percent of FDNY and EMS employees have been out on COVID-19 medical leave citywide.
Meanwhile, at the peak of the coronavirus crisis, approximately 25 percent of the city’s 4,400 EMS members were out on medical leave.
More than 5,000 firefighters and EMTs have had a positive or presumed COVID-19 diagnosis.
All FDNY buildings, vehicles and equipment are cleaned regularly and all members are provided with PPE, hand sanitizer and COVID-19 training.
