On Sunday, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea informed the nation about the death of a New York Police Department traffic enforcement agent due to COVID-19. This is the 20th death registered in the NYPD due to the current pandemic. Agent William Hayes was an army veteran and had been working in the department for the last 31 years. 

Shea took to his twitter handle to express his grief. “With profound sadness, I announce the passing of Traffic Enforcement Agent William Hayes as a result of COVID-19. William was a U.S. Army veteran and member of our NYPD family for nearly 31 years. Our prayers are with his loved ones & colleagues today and every day.#Never Forget,” Shea wrote in his tweet.

Along with the city, the NYPD has been under the wrath of COVID-19. On Sunday, in its daily report, the NYPD said that a total of 6,743 uniformed members, which equivalents to 18% of the workforce, were sick. Around 2,318 members and 471 civilians have been tested positive for COVID-19, the report said.

According to Johns Hopkins University, out of over 547,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 nationwide as of Sunday, New York state has registered 189,020 cases and 9,385 deaths. New York City, alone, had over 103,00 confirmed cases and 6,898 deaths as of Sunday. 

On the other hand, in his latest briefing, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday that the number of deaths has been “flattening” in the state, but “at a terribly high rate.” Around 758 people had died in the last 24 hours, Cuomo informed in his briefing.