Coronavirus: Frontline police to get protective gear
- Published
Police officers wearing masks and gloves in Perth
Frontline police officers will be issued with personal protective equipment from next week.
FFP3 masks, gloves, boot covers, coveralls and goggles have already been issued to more than 600 officers to protect against Covid-19.
Fitting and training will soon be rolled out across all local police divisions, Police Scotland said.
In the meantime, a flexible response unit in possession of full kit will be deployed to support officers.
Protective gear has already been issued to operational support units, border policing, custody and in some officers in rural areas.
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Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: "Our officers are playing a vital role in keeping people safe at this extraordinary time and we want them to have the right protective equipment to enable them to do their jobs with confidence.
"We have had several teams working continuously on procuring and distributing vital supplies to staff and these are being issued across priority areas, with significant orders for more items, including masks, goggles and gloves, scheduled for delivery over the coming days and weeks.
"The procurement of available PPE is a key piece of work being undertaken in challenging circumstances due to exceptional levels of demand and we are streamlining and simplifying the process where possible.
"We are working with the Scottish government and partners, and at a UK level, to ensure required PPE is delivered as quickly as possible."
Police officers patrol the Royal Mile in Edinburgh during the "lockdown"