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Whistle-blower: Those aiding US coronavirus evacuees lacked gear
Whistle-blower reportedly alleges health workers assisted US coronavirus evacuees without training or protective gear.
8 hours ago
Personal protection equipment kits on shelf during preparations against the novel coronavirus, in Midway, Utah [George Frey/Reuters]
A whistle-blower at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reportedly alleged that more than a dozen US health workers tasked with helping evacuate quarantined Americans from China had not been provided with proper training or given appropriate protective gear, a move that may have exposed them to the coronavirus.
The complaint alleges that HHS employees were sent to the Travis and March Air Force bases in California without full protective gear and training on how to protect themselves from contracting the virus, and adds that those workers who did not show symptoms of infection, were not tested for the disease, US media reported.
The Washington Post first reported about the complaint that was filed to the Office of Special Counsel, an independent watchdog agency that investigates whistle-blower complaints.
The whistle-blower, who according to the New York Times is a senior leader in the Department of Health and Human Services, is now seeking federal protection claiming she was unfairly reassigned after raising concerns about the safety of workers.
US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaking during a news conference on the coronavirus outbreak in the White House in Washington, DC [File: Carlos Barria/Reuters]
One of the whistle-blower's lawyers, Ari Wilkenfeld, confirmed the complaint to US media on Friday.
"We are hopeful that Congress and the OSC will investigate this case in a timely and comprehensive manner," Wilkenfeld told Politico. "This matter concerns HHS's response to the coronavirus, and its failure to protect its employees and potentially the public. The retaliatory efforts to intimidate and silence our client must be opposed."
Late on Thursday, Democratic Senator Ed Markey called on HHS Secretary Alex Azar to resign.
Azar on Friday said that the US plans to invoke a law called the Defense Production Act to boost production of protective equipment, including masks and gloves, to combat the coronavirus.
On Wednesday, officials confirmed that a woman in California had contracted the disease from an unknown source, raising fears of a "community spread" of the virus in the US.
There are 62 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those cases include 47 people who were repatriated.
The coronavirus outbreak originated in China, and has spread to 59 countries around the world, affected markets, suspended flights and shuttered schools. It has infected more than 83,000 people and killed nearly 3,000 - mostly in China.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...rus-evacuees-lacked-gear-200228182320295.html
Whistle-blower reportedly alleges health workers assisted US coronavirus evacuees without training or protective gear.
8 hours ago
Personal protection equipment kits on shelf during preparations against the novel coronavirus, in Midway, Utah [George Frey/Reuters]
A whistle-blower at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reportedly alleged that more than a dozen US health workers tasked with helping evacuate quarantined Americans from China had not been provided with proper training or given appropriate protective gear, a move that may have exposed them to the coronavirus.
The complaint alleges that HHS employees were sent to the Travis and March Air Force bases in California without full protective gear and training on how to protect themselves from contracting the virus, and adds that those workers who did not show symptoms of infection, were not tested for the disease, US media reported.
The Washington Post first reported about the complaint that was filed to the Office of Special Counsel, an independent watchdog agency that investigates whistle-blower complaints.
The whistle-blower, who according to the New York Times is a senior leader in the Department of Health and Human Services, is now seeking federal protection claiming she was unfairly reassigned after raising concerns about the safety of workers.
US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaking during a news conference on the coronavirus outbreak in the White House in Washington, DC [File: Carlos Barria/Reuters]
One of the whistle-blower's lawyers, Ari Wilkenfeld, confirmed the complaint to US media on Friday.
"We are hopeful that Congress and the OSC will investigate this case in a timely and comprehensive manner," Wilkenfeld told Politico. "This matter concerns HHS's response to the coronavirus, and its failure to protect its employees and potentially the public. The retaliatory efforts to intimidate and silence our client must be opposed."
Late on Thursday, Democratic Senator Ed Markey called on HHS Secretary Alex Azar to resign.
Azar on Friday said that the US plans to invoke a law called the Defense Production Act to boost production of protective equipment, including masks and gloves, to combat the coronavirus.
On Wednesday, officials confirmed that a woman in California had contracted the disease from an unknown source, raising fears of a "community spread" of the virus in the US.
There are 62 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those cases include 47 people who were repatriated.
The coronavirus outbreak originated in China, and has spread to 59 countries around the world, affected markets, suspended flights and shuttered schools. It has infected more than 83,000 people and killed nearly 3,000 - mostly in China.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...rus-evacuees-lacked-gear-200228182320295.html
