Medical workers at hospitals around the United States held a national day of action Wednesday demanding an end to preventable healthcare worker deaths from COVID-19. At the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, where five medical workers have died and several others remain hospitalized, protesters stood at least six feet apart as they demanded more personal protective equipment. This is Arlene Meertens, a patient care technician at Kingsbrook.

Arlene Meertens: “Protect us! That’s all we are asking. Give us what we need so we can survive, to continuously help those who need us, and continuously keep people alive!”

Workers are also demanding better safety training, better staffing levels, and temporary housing for workers who risk spreading disease to their family members.