The South African Police Service says the coronavirus pandemic is taking its toll on its members as the country battles the second wave of infections.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo says more than 300 police officers have succumbed to COVID-19 related complications while many others are in hospital or isolation.
“As of 31st December, we lost 340 members to this virus and that number is still growing. We’ve had members that have lost their lives over these past three days including this morning as well but we haven’t got the full and final stats as yet. Of course, it does put a strain on the emotional state of our members because thus far we’ve had more than 21 000 members who were infected. Fortunately, over 19 000 of them have recovered, 340 still remain in hospital while 340 have lost their lives to the virus. Others are still recovering at home in self-isolation. But when it comes to policing, I think hats need to be taken off for our members who still remain committed and dedicated to the frontline service that is expected of them.”
Minister calls on police to enforce regulations
As the holiday season started last year in December, Police Minister Bheki Cele urged police to be strict in enforcing the wearing of masks in public as cases across provinces in the country surged:
