A UK railway ticket office worker has died of coronavirus after being spat on while at work.
Belly Mujinga, 47, was on the concourse of Victoria Station in London when a member of the public who said he had COVID-19 spat at and coughed at her and a colleague.
Within days, both women fell ill with the virus.
Belly had underlying respiratory problems and was admitted to Barnet Hospital and put on a ventilator. She unfortunately passed away on April 5th, said her trade union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association.
The union has reported the incident to the Railways Inspectorate, which is the safety arm of the Office for Road and Rail for investigation and is taking legal advice.
“We are shocked and devastated at Belly’s death. She is one of far too many frontline workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus,” TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said.
“The Health Secretary Matt Hancock recently announced that GBP60,000 ($AUD 114,000) would be paid to the survivors of health and care workers who die as a result of the pandemic.
“Our view is that this compensation should be extended to the families of all frontline workers who perish trying to keep our country and vital services going.
“Sadly, Belly’s is just one of many family tragedies where children have had their parents taken away from them.
“However, there are serious questions about her death – it wasn’t inevitable. As a vulnerable person in the ‘at risk’ category, and her condition known to her employer, there are questions about why she wasn’t stood down from frontline duties early on in this pandemic.
“Rather than talking about the easing the lockdown, the government must first ensure that the right precautions and protections have been taken so that more lives are not lost.
“Anyone who is vulnerable should remain at home and home working should be the default wherever possible.
“Our rail industry needs to have a very serious look at what tasks are deemed ‘essential’ and must put protections in place for all our members and our passengers.”
Angie Doll, managing director of Southern Railway and Gatwick Express said in a statement that they are “devastated” due to Belly’s passing.
“We are devastated that our dedicated colleague Belly has passed away and our deepest sympathies are with her family with whom we have been in touch through this very difficult time.
“Tragically, many people across the country have now been directly affected by COVID-19, including those in the rail industry who are doing the vital job of ensuring train services can continue.
“We take any allegations extremely seriously, and we are investigating these claims. The safety of our customers and staff, who are key workers themselves, continues to be front of mind at all times and we follow the latest government advice. We urge people only to travel if it is absolutely essential.”
Photo credits: news.com.au
This article originally appeared on Over60.