Los Angeles firefighters and other officials investigate an explosion and fire in the Little Tokyo area of downtown L.A. on May 17, 2020. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)The Los Angeles Fire Department has spent more than $22.5 million on overtime related to COVID-19, much of it to backfill the shifts of employees who fell ill or had to quarantine after an exposure to the virus, data reviewed by The Times show. Related Content Thousands gather in downtown L.A. to protest city worker COVID vaccine mandateThe numbers underscore the toll that the coronavirus is taking on Fire Department staffing amid a battle over the city mandate that employees receive vaccinations. Only about 70% of LAFD workers have been fully vaccinated, and some firefighters and union officials have warned of major staffing problems if large numbers of personnel refuse to comply with the mandate. Read the full story on LATimes.com.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 10, 2021 17:19 UTC