How COVID-19 Continues to Impact Law Enforcement
The fight against COVID-19 is an ongoing battle that sees many frontline workers being exposed to the dreaded illness. While we have covered many stories on the ravages of the pandemic from a socioeconomic perspective, the stories of officers at the forefront of this effort have seldom been told. What we do know is that there are over three hundred men and women from the Belize Police Department that are out sick and their absence from active duty has placed a strain on the human resources output of the department. Tonight, we begin with a look at the recovery of two well-known officers and what the department is doing to address the outbreak within its ranks. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc within the ranks of the Belize Police Department, having claimed the lives of two officers since an outbreak was recorded within the force several months ago. Commissioner Chester Williams has said quite openly that the men and women of law enforcement are those on the frontline who are most exposed to the virulent disease, a malady that has seen the number of cops on active duty decline over the past few weeks.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We continue to do our utmost best despite the fact that our human resources are down due to the COVID-19 virus. And while yes, it is difficult for us, I must say that I am grateful for the willingness and the dedication of many of our officers who, despite the fact that they are putting themselves at risk, they come to work every day and are willing to give that extra to ensure that we fulfil our mandates.”
Among those officers who are committed to their responsibility to protect and serve is Superintendent Reymundo Reyes. He was away from work for five days when he contracted the virus. Where he got it from is still unknown to him.
Reymundo Reyes
Supt. Reymundo Reyes, Commander of Operations, Belize City
“It was something that commenced with a sore throat. I had slight fever and based on that, I decided to visit the San Ignacio Community Hospital where a rapid test was done and the following day I was notified that in fact I was already infected with the COVID-19 virus so I was quarantined for a period of fourteen days.”
Coming down with the illness around that same time was Woman Police Constable Jenny Bonilla. The prevalence of COVID-19 within the workplace, as well as its pervasiveness in the field, also makes it difficult for Bonilla to trace her exposure.
Jenny Bonilla
WPC Jenny Bonilla, Police Public Relations Officer
“I was out for fourteen days and the virus, for me, started off with more of feeling weak. Like I felt as if though I was really tired and because of that, my co-workers decided to ask me to go ahead and proceed with a COVID test and when I got the, I did a rapid test, so I got the results the same day and I found out that I was COVID positive. After that the fever came and the ache, back pain, which was the worst part of it all to me, that’s the worst symptom.”
For senior officer Reyes, his bout with COVID-19 was severe. Unlike others who are asymptomatic, his was a full-on attack of the disease.
Supt. Reymundo Reyes
“I had the full effects of COVID. We could say that I had sore throat, fever; body ache is what actually kills you. Being in your bed without moving, trying to gasp for breath and so forth, but thanks to medication provided from the hospital and also remedies from home, it actually helped me to come back and I have been cleared and returned back to work yesterday in my full capacity.”
That home remedy which several officers in the department now swear by includes a hot tea made with vervain, a perennial plant with delicate, jagged leaves and small five-petaled blossoms. Although it has no scent, practitioners of alternative medicine believe that vervain has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antispasmodic and pain-relieving properties.
WPC Jenny Bonilla
“I took what the hospital recommended, the package that they give you when you go and get tested, but also I used a vervain tea which was a mixture of the vervain, the yellow ginger, garlic and honey and also some cayenne pepper and that was what I medicated myself with for the time that I was out with COVID. I think it was very soothing to the fact that I had a sore throat as part of the symptoms of COVID-19 and it was very soothing whenever I drank it. It helped a lot.”
Bonilla returned to work on Monday. Many of her colleagues in law enforcement, at least three hundred of them, remain in quarantine at any given point in time.
Chester Williams
“While yes, we may have an acceptable return rate, it’s the same amount of people that are coming that are same amount of people going. So it is not, per se, helping us but rather keeping our figures at a stagnant level, hovering around three hundred to three hundred and fifty officers out at any given point in time, and I think that that is manageable. If it is that we go beyond that, like if we would approach five hundred or six hundred figure then we might find ourselves in a more challenging position. But for now, while yes it is difficult, we are managing and I want to, again, say thanks to the men and women of the Belize Police Department.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
