A new directive has been put in place for Nassau's emergency medics: If a person over 18 is in cardiac arrest and cannot be revived within 20 minutes – leave them at the scene. Do not transport to the hospital.

News 12 Long Island obtained this directive, which came out on Sunday, from Nassau's Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee.

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Kris Kalender, who represents the Nassau County Police Medics union, says he understands the change is meant to not further burden the hospital system amid the COVID-19 crisis, but he says it's mentally taxing on his medics.

“Our mental trauma is going to be affected,” he says. “Now we have to go into these homes and essentially leave someone's loved one there.”

Suffolk's EMS advisory board has not changed its protocol, but Greg Miglino, the chief of the South Country Ambulance Company, says it's likely to happen.

"It's called a mass casualty incident and when you're in that type of situation, you only have so many resources,” says Chief Miglino.

New York City EMTs were also instructed this week to not transport cardiac arrest patients who could not be revived at the scene.