The New York City Police Department has lost another member to COVID-19, bringing the total number of virus-related NYPD deaths to 29, making up one-third of all officers in America that have died from the virus.
“I’m saddened to announce the passing of another beloved member of our NYPD family, Traffic Enforcement Agent Jason Lewis, who died yesterday of complications from #COVID19,” NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea tweeted on Sunday.
“The prayers & sympathy of the entire NYPD are with Jason’s loved ones & friends during this painful time,” Shea wrote.
According to the city’s website, New York City has almost 130,000 cases of coronavirus, . That’s about 17.5% of the nation’s 746,379 total cases reported, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
More than 4,000 members of the NYPD have tested positive for the virus.
At one point, almost 20% of the force was out sick and more than 2,000 have returned to work after recovering.
“This unprecedented crisis has already taken a significant toll on our NYPD family,” Shea said in a letter to the department. “We do not know how long it will last, so we will continue to honor our colleagues in this way for the foreseeable future.”
“We do know we will emerge stronger on the other side together. And we vow to never forget our heroes’ service and sacrifice. Thank you for everything you do every day, and please, stay safe.”
