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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAnxiety, anger as State Dept. moves ahead with reopening despite area infection rate
According to the latest ABC News analysis of the coronaviruss spread, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland have all seen increases in cases, rates of positivity, and hospitalizations in recent days. Despite those climbing numbers, the State Department announced this week that it has moved ahead to the second phase of its reopening plan -- sparking anxiety and anger among a workforce comprising many unable or unwilling to return. The department is just one of several government agencies at which employees and their unions have expressed concern about returning to work too soon and putting them at risk.
According to the department's "Diplomacy Strong" plan, which was launched in May, the second reopening phase is supposed to begin when there is a 14-day downward trend in cases, as well as the availability of public transit, schools or day cares, and open non-essential businesses. While some of those conditions have not been met, a State Department spokesperson told ABC News Friday the move to phase two was made by department leadership "using guidance from the White House, CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], and local governments combined with objective criteria informed by data and good judgment."
The push has caught the attention of members of Congress in the Washington area, whose constituents include large numbers of federal employees. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin of Maryland and Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia wrote a letter to the acting directors of the Office of Management and Budget and of Personnel Management urging them to reverse these "unsafe actions."
"Reopening too quickly by ending maximum telework threatens to erase the progress made against the virus and endanger the health and safety of federal employees and everyone else in an agencys region through increased community spread," the four Democratic senators wrote on July 9.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/anxiety-anger-state-dept-moves-ahead-reopening-infection/story?id=72120634
Squinch
(51,016 posts)BigmanPigman
(51,630 posts)They will NEVER learn and we will be in COVID Hell until we get a new admin. Plain and simple. This IS the new norm.
gristy
(10,667 posts)Instead of
Shouldn't the statement (and corresponding actions) be
This business about "reopening too quickly" is just nuts. The virus doesn't care if you reopen quickly or reopen after you reach just 1 new case per week. If you "reopen" without the large majority on board with mask usage and social distancing, R0 is going to be greater than 1, and the virus is going to be off and running (i.e. daily new case count will be increasing).