Whistleblower claims feds not properly prepared to assist with coronavirus evacuees

The Office of Special Counsel said Thursday that it has received a complaint from a government whistleblower alleging that federal workers were not given proper training or protective gear when they were sent to assist Americans evacuated from China during the initial leg of the coronavirus outbreak.

The complaint refers to the event last month in which employees of the Department of Health and Human Services  were sent to Travis and March Air Force bases in California to aid in assisting the quarantined evacuees.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., said the whistleblower contacted his office earlier this month to allege retaliation from his superiors for taking issue with safety protocol. 

The complaint was filed by a high-ranking official at the Administration for Children and Families, a social service branch of HHS, according to Gomez's office. The employee was reportedly given the option of being reassigned or fired. 

Although HHS workers were sometimes gloved or masked, they were not protected by the full gear they noticed employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were wearing. 

At a congressional hearing on Thursday, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said, "Urgency does not compensate for violating isolation and quarantine protocols.”

HHS spokesperson Caitlin Oakley said: "We take all whistleblower very seriously and are providing the complainant all appropriate protections under the Whistleblower Protection Act,”