Fed Worker In NJ Told To Violate Coronavirus Quarantine: Reports – Newark, NJ Patch

A federal employee who traveled to China was recently told to return to her job in New Jersey despite the protocol that requires a 14-day quarantine period to screen for the coronavirus, according to report by The Washington Post.

The woman works at the Newark office of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services at the US Department of Homeland Security, according to NJ Advance Media.

The woman, who was not identified, had traveled to China and asked her boss if she should stay home in quarantine, according to The Post. Her boss, however, told her to come back to work by Feb. 10 and violate a mandatory coronavirus quarantine period of two weeks, the report said.

Ward Morrow, an attorney for the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents USCIS employees, told the Post that the union has filed a labor grievance and a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in close coordination with the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and various public health organizations,” Sarah Rodriguez, a USCIS spokeswoman said in a statement reported by NJ Advance Media. “DHS has issued guidance mandating that employees returning from China adhere to a quarantine protocol.”

The reports came as officials dealt with a suspected coronavirus case in New Jersey this weekend – and as a number of people in the Garden State who may have come in contact with the disease self-quarantined. Read more: Update On Probe Into Suspected Coronavirus Case In NJ

Test results came back negative for the individual in New Jersey who underwent testing, the state Department of Health reported late Saturday. There are no other people in New Jersey who are currently diagnosed with the disease or awaiting testing for the virus that causes COVID-19.

The DOH’s announcement also came as the first death in the United States resulting from the coronavirus was reported. Read more: First U. S. Death From Coronavirus Reported; More Cases In WA

“Most New Jersey residents are at low risk for novel coronavirus,” said Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. “If individuals are having symptoms, the illness is much more likely to be caused by common respiratory viruses such as flu or the common cold.”

The New Jersey Public Health Environmental Laboratories was testing for the coronavirus involving an individual hospitalized in Monmouth County, according to the state Department of Health.

The person was undergoing testing in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, the DOH said.

The hospital had taken all necessary precautions and was following infectious disease protocol, state officials said.

The New Jersey patient had been isolated at Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, officials said.

Officials, meanwhile, say there have been more than 85,000 cases and nearly 3,000 deaths worldwide. More than 60 cases of the coronavirus have been diagnosed in the United States.

The Ocean County Health Department also has monitored 13 people who have essentially self-quarantined, Ocean County Public Health Officer Daniel E. Regenye told Patch. They did it at their homes after returning from abroad, Regenye said.

The steps were taken after Nancy Messonnier, the director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, told reporters in a conference call the question is no longer if the coronavirus, now officially called COVID-19, will spread across the United States but when that will happen.

Communities, schools and businesses in New Jersey and elsewhere should begin preparing now for “the expectation that this could be bad,” Messonnier said.

“I understand this whole situation may seem overwhelming and that disruption to everyday life may be severe. But these are things that people need to start thinking about now,” she said. “You should think about what you would do for child care if schools or day cares closed.”

So far in New Jersey, the Department of Health says it has been focused on ramping up preparedness efforts and coordination with hospital and local health departments since the end of January. The Department of Health’s crisis management meets daily to monitor “this evolving situation,” officials said.

Gov. Phil Murphy issued a statement on Saturday, saying he spoke with Vice President Pence to discuss New Jersey’s ongoing efforts to guard against the spread of novel coronavirus.

The vice president praised New Jersey for taking aggressive and proactive measures to combat the public health threat and reiterated that the Trump Administration stands ready to support New Jersey’s efforts in this fight, according to the governor’s office.

Murphy thanked the vice president for maintaining an open line of communication and pledged to work closely with the White House, Coronavirus Task Force, and CDC to combat the virus and “keep all New Jerseyans safe and healthy.”