Photos of healthcare workers and essential workers at the front lines flood the lawn of the US Capitol as a plea to the government for PPE

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Photos of healthcare workers and essential workers at the front lines flood the lawn of the US Capitol as a plea to the government for PPE
In a protest designed to adhere to social-distancing and with care taken for safety, 1,000 pop-up signs were arranged on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building showing the faces of nurses and frontline healthcare workers pleading for adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) on April 17, 2020 in Washington, DC.Paul Morigi/Getty Images for MoveOn
  • A silent protest for PPE was arranged on the lawn of the US Capitol building in the form of signs depicting healthcare and essential workers at the front lines.
  • The display, organized by "progressive advocacy organizations, health care organizations, and unions representing healthcare workers," was meant to mobilize Congress to take immediate action in response to the calls for adequate PPE.
  • The signs include selfies of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, as well as the symbol for medicine with the hashtag #GetUsPPE.
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The lawn of the US Capitol building was flooded with a thousand signs depicting healthcare workers and essential workers in a plea to the government for PPE.

Each sign was meant to represent 18,000 healthcare workers who are fighting the coronavirus outbreak at the front lines in an effort to highlight the immediate need to ramp up production and distribution of face masks and other forms of PPE.

The silent protest was organized as a collaboration between "progressive advocacy organizations, health care organizations, and unions representing healthcare workers," according to a statement from MoveOn, one of the organizations involved.

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"We are now seeing thousands of healthcare workers get infected. And tragically, some have lost their lives," Kviatkovsky continued. "Our movement is giving the frontline a voice, so we can collectively call for more PPE today."

"We are now seeing thousands of healthcare workers get infected. And tragically, some have lost their lives," Kviatkovsky continued. "Our movement is giving the frontline a voice, so we can collectively call for more PPE today."

"Healthcare workers have been sounding the alarm since the early days of this pandemic," Dr. Milla Kviatkovsky of Frontline PPE NOW said in a statement.

"Healthcare workers have been sounding the alarm since the early days of this pandemic," Dr. Milla Kviatkovsky of Frontline PPE NOW said in a statement.

"Our frontline is bearing the brunt of COVID-19, and the only way to protect them is with adequate PPE," she added.

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The groups are urging Congress to take more immediate action in response to the call for adequate PPE at the front lines.

The groups are urging Congress to take more immediate action in response to the call for adequate PPE at the front lines.

According to the MoveOn statement, the involved organizations are making the following demands:

  • Prioritize the production of protective masks.
  • Release more of its PPE stockpile immediately.
  • Give all healthcare and medical workers immediate and free access to COVID-19 tests.
  • Establish a minimum standard of protection for healthcare workers using N95 masks.
  • Use the authorities provided by the Defense Production Act.
  • Pass the Medical Supply Chain Emergency Act.
  • Establish an Essential Workers Bill of Rights.

More than two million people have collectively signed petitions demanding Congress take swifter action in response to the lack of available PPE to essential workers.

More than two million people have collectively signed petitions demanding Congress take swifter action in response to the lack of available PPE to essential workers.

The organizations include the American Federation of Teachers, MoveOn, Change.org, FrontlinePPENow, Women's March, among other groups.

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"Healthcare and other essential workers are on the front lines of this pandemic every day, risking their lives to keep patients and our communities safe," Rahna Epting, Executive Director of MoveOn, said in a statement.

"Healthcare and other essential workers are on the front lines of this pandemic every day, risking their lives to keep patients and our communities safe," Rahna Epting, Executive Director of MoveOn, said in a statement.

"Healthcare workers, grocery workers, warehouse and delivery workers, transit workers, and more bravely show up for us all every day," she continued. "Now we are calling on Congress to ensure our government shows up for them."

As of mid-April, more than 9,200 healthcare workers have been infected by the coronavirus, which causes a respiratory illness known as COVID-19.

As of mid-April, more than 9,200 healthcare workers have been infected by the coronavirus, which causes a respiratory illness known as COVID-19.

Source: Business Insider

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