3000 Essential Workers Have Died on Front Line Worldwide

Labor Day is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. Instead, we mourn front line workers’ unnecessary deaths. Essential health care workers who have died worldwide of COVID -19 are thought by Amnesty International to be about 3000 and counting.

 More than a month ago, Kaiser Health News put the US total at almost 600. The report said, “The overall figure is likely to be a significant underestimate due to under-reporting, while accurate comparisons across countries are difficult due to differences in counting.”

US Essential Worker Left Unprotected By PPE

“Health and essential workers have played an extraordinary role in this pandemic. But those so dedicated workers are often left unprotected by governments and systems that have failed to supply them with enough personal protective equipment (PPE), supplies, and resources to do their jobs.”( trash bags they got from FEMA, as you can see)

In April alone, there were an estimated 27 COVID-19-related health worker deaths in the USA, 106 in the UK, and 180 in Russia, with tens of thousands of infections. The actual numbers are probably much higher.

Although COVID Take it’s the biggest toll on the elderly, nurses, nursing students, and nurses aides at hard-hit nursing homes caring for the elderly, die young of COVID. 

I am a social worker and have worked on the social work/nurse team, with nurses & nurses aides for 40 years, so this really matters to me as it should to all of us.

Trump Failed to Use Defence Production ACT to Make PPE

According to Kaiser this month it was over 900 and counting in the US. And as is so often said- it did not have to be this way. If Trump had used the  Defence Production Act to get PPE made the PPE and distributed to essential workers, they would not have died. As cases mount in the south and the west where I live, lifesaving PPE- N-95 masks, gloves, gowns are not adequate although Trump keeps giving more dubious information that every worker had what they needed. Poor government preparation or actions, government missteps, and overburdened health care created this travesty

Mourn Essential Workers on Labor Day

So on labor day offer a thank you, a prayer,  light a candle, create art  -burn a stick of sage as the American Indians do -all in their memory – a ritual of mourning for these essential workers who did not have to die because the richest nation in the world could not give them simple protection.

Contact Your Legislator After Labor Day

Then contact your local legislator about the lack of PPE that the government is not sending to save another nurse, bus driver, care providers, doctor, policeman, social worker, firefighter who offered themselves up for us and died for our Presidents’ sins.