According to a press release by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), Democrats of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee have requested Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia to “provide details about the Department’s coronavirus preparedness and response efforts and how the Department plans to protect the safety, health and economic security of workers and their families in light of the increasing threat from the coronavirus.” The request comes on the heels of a statement made by Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urging businesses to prepare for the potential spread of coronavirus in the workplace.
The senators asked Secretary Scalia for more information about:
- How the Department is communicating with federal public health officials,
- What information will be given to workers and employers, and
- The steps the department is taking to ensure worker safety and health, particularly those on the front lines such as healthcare workers.
The senators also urged protection for low-income workers and workers who may not have the opportunity to work remotely.
A copy of the senators’ letter, dated March 2, 2020, can be accessed here.
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