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| After Days of Anxiety and Confusion, Government Workers Told to Stay Home | After Days of Anxiety and Confusion, Government Workers Told to Stay Home |
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| WASHINGTON — The federal government on Monday began directing its employees to work from home, after a week of confusion as some workers were told to report to the office even as public health officials implored employers to keep people at home. | WASHINGTON — The federal government on Monday began directing its employees to work from home, after a week of confusion as some workers were told to report to the office even as public health officials implored employers to keep people at home. |
| Facing mounting criticism and anxiety from federal employees, the Trump administration on Sunday night issued new guidance that allowed some to voluntarily work from home. That memo replaced an earlier directive that said only people at high risk of health problems could telework, and it came days after waves of schools, libraries, restaurants, churches, arenas and other businesses had shuttered to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. | Facing mounting criticism and anxiety from federal employees, the Trump administration on Sunday night issued new guidance that allowed some to voluntarily work from home. That memo replaced an earlier directive that said only people at high risk of health problems could telework, and it came days after waves of schools, libraries, restaurants, churches, arenas and other businesses had shuttered to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. |
| The latest directive was yet another moment when the Trump administration lagged behind the private sector — and some state and local governments — in moving to confront the pandemic and combat its rapid spread, contributing to a general sense of disarray in the government’s response. It is also emblematic of the tone projected by President Trump, who has worked to play down the threat from the virus even as his public health officials have issued increasingly urgent warnings. | The latest directive was yet another moment when the Trump administration lagged behind the private sector — and some state and local governments — in moving to confront the pandemic and combat its rapid spread, contributing to a general sense of disarray in the government’s response. It is also emblematic of the tone projected by President Trump, who has worked to play down the threat from the virus even as his public health officials have issued increasingly urgent warnings. |
| The result has been that the nation’s 2.1 million federal workers — spread across law enforcement, diplomatic functions, education, the military and the country’s social safety nets — have received mixed messages about whether they can take the advice of public health officials to take aggressive action to distance themselves from others to slow the spread of the virus. | The result has been that the nation’s 2.1 million federal workers — spread across law enforcement, diplomatic functions, education, the military and the country’s social safety nets — have received mixed messages about whether they can take the advice of public health officials to take aggressive action to distance themselves from others to slow the spread of the virus. |
| “Overall our employees have not been impressed, and they see a lack of a centralized voice in the government saying, ‘OK, here’s what we’re going to do,’” said Steve Lenkart, the executive director of the National Federation of Federal Employees. “It’s been more like, ‘You’re encouraged, you’re authorized to do that if you want.’ It’s really soft language, and that’s been bothering everybody.” | “Overall our employees have not been impressed, and they see a lack of a centralized voice in the government saying, ‘OK, here’s what we’re going to do,’” said Steve Lenkart, the executive director of the National Federation of Federal Employees. “It’s been more like, ‘You’re encouraged, you’re authorized to do that if you want.’ It’s really soft language, and that’s been bothering everybody.” |
| The Office of Management and Budget said that workers in and around the nation’s capital were allowed to work from home when feasible, but that directive covered only about a tenth of the more than two million federal employees, one of the largest work forces in the country. Mr. Lenkart said the memo was “a step in the right direction” but should have gone out to the entire nation. | The Office of Management and Budget said that workers in and around the nation’s capital were allowed to work from home when feasible, but that directive covered only about a tenth of the more than two million federal employees, one of the largest work forces in the country. Mr. Lenkart said the memo was “a step in the right direction” but should have gone out to the entire nation. |
| Workers in the Washington area were offered “maximum telework flexibilities,” and agency leaders were authorized to use leave that is set aside for weather and safety issues in order to give people who cannot telework the flexibility to take time off, according to the Office of Management and Budget memorandum. | Workers in the Washington area were offered “maximum telework flexibilities,” and agency leaders were authorized to use leave that is set aside for weather and safety issues in order to give people who cannot telework the flexibility to take time off, according to the Office of Management and Budget memorandum. |
| But the administration did not mandate that federal offices close. | But the administration did not mandate that federal offices close. |
| The Office of Management and Budget memo issued on Sunday was a change of course from previous guidance, provided just days earlier, that only employees considered at high risk of serious health problems were allowed to telework. | The Office of Management and Budget memo issued on Sunday was a change of course from previous guidance, provided just days earlier, that only employees considered at high risk of serious health problems were allowed to telework. |
| Several government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter, said the office was planning to extend the new guidance for employees to the federal work force nationwide. | Several government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter, said the office was planning to extend the new guidance for employees to the federal work force nationwide. |
| But even those guidelines have been interpreted differently by each agency. The Education Department sent a letter to employees directing those who were “telework eligible” to begin working from home immediately, as did the Commerce Department. | But even those guidelines have been interpreted differently by each agency. The Education Department sent a letter to employees directing those who were “telework eligible” to begin working from home immediately, as did the Commerce Department. |
| Attorney General William P. Barr directed U.S. attorneys to work with the chief judges in their districts to “continuity of operations” while taking “every appropriate precaution” to protect the health of those who must come before the court; but he gave no further details. | Attorney General William P. Barr directed U.S. attorneys to work with the chief judges in their districts to “continuity of operations” while taking “every appropriate precaution” to protect the health of those who must come before the court; but he gave no further details. |
| But some agencies, insisting it was impossible for their employees to carry out their responsibilities outside the office, were slower to encourage their staff to work from home. | But some agencies, insisting it was impossible for their employees to carry out their responsibilities outside the office, were slower to encourage their staff to work from home. |
| “Federal offices in the Washington, D.C. area are OPEN,” the Office of Personnel Management wrote to workers. “If you are not telework eligible or do not have access to telework equipment, please contact your supervisor to discuss next steps.” | “Federal offices in the Washington, D.C. area are OPEN,” the Office of Personnel Management wrote to workers. “If you are not telework eligible or do not have access to telework equipment, please contact your supervisor to discuss next steps.” |
| A memo circulated to Treasury Department employees gave the same guidance, saying supervisors could consider granting administrative leave in the form of “weather and safety leave” for a “condition that prevents the employee or group of employees from safely traveling to or performing work at an approved location.” | A memo circulated to Treasury Department employees gave the same guidance, saying supervisors could consider granting administrative leave in the form of “weather and safety leave” for a “condition that prevents the employee or group of employees from safely traveling to or performing work at an approved location.” |
| For some federal workers, like those who routinely handle classified and sensitive information in secure facilities, working at home is simply not an option. That leaves large numbers of government employees at risk of being exposed to the virus or of exposing others. | For some federal workers, like those who routinely handle classified and sensitive information in secure facilities, working at home is simply not an option. That leaves large numbers of government employees at risk of being exposed to the virus or of exposing others. |
| The Pentagon, a hive of activity on most days with more than 25,000 military and civilian employees, was decidedly quieter on Monday after the Defense Department’s request for thousands of “nonessential” employees to telework. Still, many thousands of other defense employees who needed to work on classified computer systems sat next to one another in cramped cubicles or secured offices to carry out their duties. | The Pentagon, a hive of activity on most days with more than 25,000 military and civilian employees, was decidedly quieter on Monday after the Defense Department’s request for thousands of “nonessential” employees to telework. Still, many thousands of other defense employees who needed to work on classified computer systems sat next to one another in cramped cubicles or secured offices to carry out their duties. |
| Many of the federal government’s health workers were left wondering who needed to report to the office. In the more than 80,000-person Department of Health and Human Services, Washington-based employees reported on Monday morning without any kind of uniform plan, unsure of how long they might be in the office or whether their colleagues had already decided to stay home. | Many of the federal government’s health workers were left wondering who needed to report to the office. In the more than 80,000-person Department of Health and Human Services, Washington-based employees reported on Monday morning without any kind of uniform plan, unsure of how long they might be in the office or whether their colleagues had already decided to stay home. |
| In the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, which includes the surgeon general and a group of key health programs, some employees, faced with unclear directions, simply decided to stay home without waiting for an official directive. | In the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, which includes the surgeon general and a group of key health programs, some employees, faced with unclear directions, simply decided to stay home without waiting for an official directive. |
| The Social Security Administration has so far resisted allowing its employees to work from home, instead allowing only workers who have self-quarantined to do so, unnerving judges and employees across the country. | The Social Security Administration has so far resisted allowing its employees to work from home, instead allowing only workers who have self-quarantined to do so, unnerving judges and employees across the country. |
| Attempts by the Association of Administrative Law Judges, a union that represents a majority of administrative law judges, to hold Social Security disability hearings via video conference and to screen claimants for possible symptoms have been rebuffed. Video conference or hearings by telephone, a Social Security Administration official replied, are “generally limited to incarceration, institutionalization,” and natural disasters. | Attempts by the Association of Administrative Law Judges, a union that represents a majority of administrative law judges, to hold Social Security disability hearings via video conference and to screen claimants for possible symptoms have been rebuffed. Video conference or hearings by telephone, a Social Security Administration official replied, are “generally limited to incarceration, institutionalization,” and natural disasters. |
| “We have called for the pause button to be hit because of the failure of leadership,” Judge Melissa McIntosh, the president of the association, said in an interview on Monday. “The agency has not taken precautions to ensure the safety of its public servants.” | “We have called for the pause button to be hit because of the failure of leadership,” Judge Melissa McIntosh, the president of the association, said in an interview on Monday. “The agency has not taken precautions to ensure the safety of its public servants.” |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | Updated June 12, 2020 |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| Judges, lawyers and prosecutors with Immigration and Customs Enforcement have also pressed the office within the Justice Department responsible for adjudicating all immigration cases to suspend court. But so far, the office has only postponed detained docket cases. | Judges, lawyers and prosecutors with Immigration and Customs Enforcement have also pressed the office within the Justice Department responsible for adjudicating all immigration cases to suspend court. But so far, the office has only postponed detained docket cases. |
| In a letter on Sunday night, the Department of Agriculture told employees that it was “working to maximize the use of telework” but that offices “should remain open and operational for the delivery of services.” | In a letter on Sunday night, the Department of Agriculture told employees that it was “working to maximize the use of telework” but that offices “should remain open and operational for the delivery of services.” |
| “Due to the diversity of USDA’s operations and the services we deliver, many employees will need to continue to report to work to perform services that cannot be performed remotely,” the letter said. | “Due to the diversity of USDA’s operations and the services we deliver, many employees will need to continue to report to work to perform services that cannot be performed remotely,” the letter said. |
| Last week, cabinet officials waited for the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to send out a memo that would allow for more telework and give more guidance about meetings, gatherings and travel, which would allow them to change their own official policies. | Last week, cabinet officials waited for the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to send out a memo that would allow for more telework and give more guidance about meetings, gatherings and travel, which would allow them to change their own official policies. |
| At the Justice Department, a sprawling bureaucracy with offices in several buildings, Mr. Barr sent an email last week to all staff saying that he was monitoring the fast-moving situation. He empowered managers to allow optional telework depending on immediate risk factors. | At the Justice Department, a sprawling bureaucracy with offices in several buildings, Mr. Barr sent an email last week to all staff saying that he was monitoring the fast-moving situation. He empowered managers to allow optional telework depending on immediate risk factors. |
| But a half dozen employees contacted The Times to say that they were not being encouraged to stay at home, even after people in their buildings had exhibited symptoms including fevers and coughs and were presumptively diagnosed with the novel coronavirus. | But a half dozen employees contacted The Times to say that they were not being encouraged to stay at home, even after people in their buildings had exhibited symptoms including fevers and coughs and were presumptively diagnosed with the novel coronavirus. |
| Employees from the State Department, the Justice Department and the Department of Education noted that most businesses and local governments had already begun to encourage social distancing regardless of whether someone at their particular workplace had tested positive. And they feared that the uneven response would fail to contain an outbreak, according to interviews with government workers who insisted on anonymity to discuss the situation. | Employees from the State Department, the Justice Department and the Department of Education noted that most businesses and local governments had already begun to encourage social distancing regardless of whether someone at their particular workplace had tested positive. And they feared that the uneven response would fail to contain an outbreak, according to interviews with government workers who insisted on anonymity to discuss the situation. |
| Supervisors in some divisions and offices quietly told their employees to avoid coming in, even though no formal directive had come through. Others were told to come in or they would have to use their personal leave time. | Supervisors in some divisions and offices quietly told their employees to avoid coming in, even though no formal directive had come through. Others were told to come in or they would have to use their personal leave time. |
| But as recently as last Thursday, the Justice Department hosted a public event to honor employees from across the federal government who work on processing government information requests via the Freedom of Information Act. The two-hour event included agency personnel, some of whom were honored at an awards ceremony, and members of the public. | But as recently as last Thursday, the Justice Department hosted a public event to honor employees from across the federal government who work on processing government information requests via the Freedom of Information Act. The two-hour event included agency personnel, some of whom were honored at an awards ceremony, and members of the public. |
| Employees in the Justice Department and the F.B.I. have tested positive for the virus or been presumptively diagnosed based on their symptoms. A census employee who works at the Commerce Department has also tested positive. The department said the employee had not been in contact with the public. | Employees in the Justice Department and the F.B.I. have tested positive for the virus or been presumptively diagnosed based on their symptoms. A census employee who works at the Commerce Department has also tested positive. The department said the employee had not been in contact with the public. |
| Noah Weiland, Erica L. Green, Katie Rogers, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Ana Swanson, Eric Schmitt and Alan Rappeport contributed reporting. | Noah Weiland, Erica L. Green, Katie Rogers, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Ana Swanson, Eric Schmitt and Alan Rappeport contributed reporting. |