Sanitation and other essential city workers are not receiving an adequate supply of protective equipment such as masks, gloves and hand sanitizers, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island) told the Advance.
Malliotakis added that some sanitation workers are questioning whether the garages are being “thoroughly cleaned so that it’s safe for them to go back to work.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio should provide the funding for protective gear and ensure that the necessary items are distributed to police, firefighters, EMTs, corrections officers, sanitation workers and other vital city workers, she said.
“Local elected officials are scrambling to get masks, gloves and other supplies donated for our essential city workers,” Malliotakis said. “On Tuesday, we delivered a limited supply of masks to each of the three (sanitation) garages, but the city needs to do more to protect them.”
“These essential city workers continue to get sick and spread the virus because they aren’t being provided the proper personal protective equipment,” the assemblywoman said. “This is outrageous.”
Nicole Malliotakis