The city distributed expired, half-empty hand sanitizer and a single mask to NYPD officers Friday after their union complained of a lack of coronavirus supplies, police sources said.
While some hand sanitizers were new, cops said they were required to use rubbing alcohol to top off older, used bottles, according to a police email obtained by media.
“We have been fighting to get more safety equipment, but unfortunately for the time being this is what we have to make the best of…” the email read.
One photo obtained, shows a crumpled hand sanitizer that expired last June.
The sketchy supplies were distributed shortly after news complaint published on Friday from cops’ on local web site. Largest union, Police Benevolent Association, that charged the city failed to provide adequate supplies to prevent officers from rapidly spreading the deadly disease.
“We’re all petrified,” a police source admitted earlier on Friday.
The union said that a new shipment of fresh supplies for officers won’t come until at least May.
Police sources also said the NYPD didn’t provided enough training and protocol regarding how police should handle suspected or confirmed coronavirus patients.
Mayor de Blasio stated in report was “not true” in a pair of tweets Friday night.
“We have a request in to the FDA for 2.2 million more N95 masks from the strategic stockpile,” de Blasio said, referring to the CDC-recommended masks.
“We can report right now that [the city Health Department] has 16 million surgical masks in their emergency stockpile and should be getting 25 million more in the next two weeks.”
