As New York City welcomes hundreds of emergency workers from around the country to help in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, new guidelines are being handed down to EMS workers responding to cardiac arrest calls.

EMS workers are essentially being told if they can’t revive the person at the scene, they’re going to have to make the difficult decision to pronounce them dead at the scene versus bringing them to the hospital for more attempts

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The new order was issued by the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council of New York.

The order tells EMS workers that no adult non-traumatic or blunt traumatic cardiac arrest patients are to be transported to the hospital with manual or mechanical compression in progress without either return of spontaneous circulation or a direct order from a medical control physician unless there’s an eminent physical danger to the EMS provider on scene. They’re also being told if a resuscitation is terminated, and the body is in public view the body can be left in the custody of the NYPD.

The FDNY said in a statement “these orders are binding and the FDNY will devise a plan for implementation.”

Paramedics will still render aid at the scene and try their best, but the goal News 12 is told is to take one more step to protect the EMS professionals who are working incredibly hard during the pandemic.