ATLANTA — Georgia has lost at least four times more law enforcement officers to COVID-19 than to shootings or accidents since the pandemic began, according to a study by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In Georgia, at least 52 police officers, deputies and jailers have died since the start of the pandemic, compared to just 12 who have been shot to death or died in car accidents since early 2020.
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Nationwide, COVID-19 is the deadliest threat currently facing law enforcement officers, according to data from the national Officer Down Memorial Page. At least 485 officers have died of the virus across the country.
Any officer’s death of COVID-19 is considered a “line of duty” death because the nature of the job is working with the public.
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Though vaccines were made available to first responders early in the pandemic, vaccine hesitancy remains relatively high among law enforcement officers in Georgia, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Roughly 49% of Georgia residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but many law enforcement agencies either report lower participation rates or don’t track their employees’ vaccination status.
There is no organization in Georgia that tracks vaccination rates in first responders and law enforcement officers.
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