Norfolk Police and Crime Commisssioner Lorne Green.
- Credit: Archant
Police officers should be moved to the top of the queue to get their coronavirus jabs as soon as possible, two leading representatives have said.
Lorne Green, police and crime commissioner for Norfolk, and Andy Symonds, Norfolk Police Federation chairman, have called on the government to ensure all British police, including Norfolk s 1,700 officers, are protected from virus.
Mr Green said: The police face daily risks and they re prepared to stand in harm s way to keep us safe. There are reports of police being spat upon and coughed upon, and I think they deserve to be put right at the top of the vaccination priority.
Norfolk Police Federation chairman challenges government to act instead of offering platitudes Published: 12:00, 15 February 2021
The chairman of Norfolk Police Federation has challenged the Government to back-up its praise of police with vaccinations to protect those on duty.
Andy Symonds claimed the Government was happy to offer its admiration and discuss the fantastic job officers were doing, but demanded that they âshow it by action and not platitudesâ.
The federation boss said âpolice deserved betterâ and called on officers to be prioritised ahead of a number of groups when it came to receiving the coronavirus vaccination.
Mr Symonds has urged the government to act.
The majority of staff members at Norfolk s three main hospitals are being inoculated at their own places of work.
Vulnerable and elderly patients are still being prioritised, but the Norfolk and Norwich (NNUH), James Paget (JPUH) and Queen Elizabeth (QEH) are making time to protect their own.
As of February 3, NNUH - the county s largest hospital - had
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) has given 10,000 vaccines to staff
- Credit: Nick Butcher
Providing a more recent update, the QEH said on Tuesday that 3,658 of its workers had received initial doses - 97pc of its permanent staff.
Data for JPUH has not been publicised since the
Police chiefs in Norfolk have urgently called for officers to be given greater priority for Covid-19 vaccines after one was spat at in the face by a man.