{"id":193197,"date":"2021-02-26T15:19:35","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T15:19:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sypfcopperconnection.co.uk\/?p=193197"},"modified":"2021-02-26T15:19:35","modified_gmt":"2021-02-26T15:19:35","slug":"covid-19-vaccine-snub-we-will-now-explore-every-possible-avenue-open-to-us-to-protect-our-members","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sypfcopperconnection.co.uk\/?p=193197","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 Vaccine Snub: We will now explore every possible avenue open to us to protect our members"},"content":{"rendered":"

COVID-19 Vaccine Snub: \u201cWe will now explore every possible avenue open to us to protect our members from this deadly virus and this complacent Government\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Steve Kent, Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: \u201cThe false dawn in terms of the Government wanting to support us with the promise of a Police Covenant is pretty much out of the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur NHS colleagues have been rightly protected and given the vaccine… but to suggest that we aren\u2019t in that bracket and not get the same protection shows the little value or understanding they have of what we do.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is also clearly politics at play here in that they know the public would not likely tolerate NHS staff not being protect whereas I know we have solid public backing, however not likely to be to the same extent.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur officers are probably at more risk of catching it on average as any occupation and we also have much tighter fine margins when it comes to resilience. Our officers are angry and annoyed that yet again we are being overlooked.\u201d<\/p>\n

National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, John Apter, said: \u201cThis announcement shows a complete lack of understanding about policing this pandemic and is an utter betrayal of police officers. My colleagues have been on the frontline since the first national lockdown last March, risking infection and even death to keep the public safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether with others across policing, we have never said police officers should jump the queue but should be prioritised. It\u2019s right that the most vulnerable and health and care workers were vaccinated; but what about police officers who cannot mitigate against the risks of contracting and spreading this deadly virus? Yet the calls to prioritise policing have been ignored.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very nature of policing is unpredictable and means my colleagues often cannot socially distance. They are going into people\u2019s homes, going into hospitals, and having to get up close and personal when helping people or making an arrest.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany officers are reporting sick or self-isolating and our numbers are falling, sometimes dangerously low. We have also lost a number of colleagues to this virus too. Yet the Government continue to hide behind the science of the JCVI. What about a moral duty to my colleagues and their families?<\/p>\n

\u201cGiving police officers the vaccine would not only protect them and their families but also help prevent the spread of this virus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are sick of warm words and no action by our political leaders who have demanded so much from policing during this pandemic. We will now explore every possible avenue open to us to protect our members from this deadly virus and this complacent government.\u201d<\/p>\n