First responders across the country are hit hard by the omicron variant

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First responders across the country are hit hard by the omicron variant¹

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In Dallas, large numbers of police officers and firefighters have called in sick this week because of COVID-19. The shortfall in personnel has led to staffing challenges.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Across the country, police and fire departments have struggled this week with huge numbers of first responders calling in sick with COVID. It's gotten particularly bad in Dallas, where nearly 1 out of every 5 firefighters is out. From member station KERA, Haya Panjwani reports on how the city is responding to the rise in cases among its first responders.

HAYA PANJWANI, BYLINE³: Over the past week, 179 people have called in sick from the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department. That's the highest number of staff that have ever been out before. The fire rescue department is already short-staffed, so the agency is paying some staff overtime⁴ to respond to the high demand of calls. Jim McDade is the president of the Dallas Fire Fighters Association.

JIM MCDADE: We have minimum staffing, so we just pay overtime to staff those positions. Firefighters are just working more overtime right now.

PANJWANI: The Dallas Police Department has had dozens of officers and support staff call out this week, too. Officials say they're concerned about the surge since it's different from past coronavirus trends. Here's Sergeant⁵ Warren Mitchell.

WARREN MITCHELL: We have seen a dramatic increase because, early part of December, end of October - early part of December, you know, we were averaging two, three employees a week testing positive for COVID. But during that last week, we had upwards⁶ of 44 new positive cases.

PANJWANI: This isn't just a Dallas problem. In Miami, about 7% of firefighters are out sick with COVID. In Cincinnati, the mayor declared a state of emergency because of the high staff outages there. In San Diego, the number is higher. Ten percent of firefighters are out with COVID. Unlike San Diego, though, Dallas doesn't require coronavirus vaccines⁷ for its first responders. But they do require daily testing. For now, Jason Evans with the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department says they hope to follow new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

JASON EVANS: We are going to be looking into our current procedures with regard to the CDC recommendations for quarantine periods for first responders and see if we can figure out a way to make adjustments so that that time can be shorter, and we can start getting members back.

PANJWANI: So far, Dallas hasn't needed to curtail⁸ service calls because of the COVID staffing shortage, but that may become an option if officers and firefighters keep getting sick.

For NPR News, I'm Haya Panjwani.

(SOUNDBITE OF BUTCHER BROWN'S "TIDAL WAVE")

1 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

5 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

6 upwards   

adv.向上，在更高处...以上

参考例句：

• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
• The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

7 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

8 curtail   

vt.截短，缩短；削减

参考例句：

• The government hopes to curtail public spending.政府希望缩减公共事业开支。
• The minister had to curtail his visit.部长不得不缩短访问日期。