Allegations Of Possible Coronavirus Exposure At March ARB

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Federal health workers were given inadequate training and protective gear when they were sent to care for Americans evacuated to March Air Reserve Base from the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, according to a whistleblower's complaint.

The complaint, made by a senior official at the Department of Health and Human Services, was filed Wednesday and first reported by the Washington Post.

According to the whistleblower, HHS staff at March ARB in Riverside County, and at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County may have been exposed to the coronavirus due to the lax safety measures.

The workers had face-to-face contact with evacuees but had no training for wearing protective gear, and were never tested for coronavirus themselves, the complaint alleges, according to the Post.

The workers in question included about 14 personnel from the Administration for Children and Families sent to March ARB, and another 13 sent to Travis AFB. A Solano County woman was reported Wednesday to have the first U.S. coronavirus transmission of unknown origin, a development that could lead to the country's first outbreak.

The safety risks were dismissed by federal officials, the complaint alleges, who said the whistleblower's concerns were harmful to staff "morale," according to the New York Times.

The whistleblower allegations prompted Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside to call for an investigation.

"I am extremely concerned and alarmed by the allegations a senior official at Health & Human Services has raised in a whistleblower complaint regarding HHS workers who received evacuees from Wuhan, China, at March Air Reserve Base and other bases in California," Takano said Thursday.

"I have requested an immediate briefing from senior officials at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense to get more information regarding these allegations and any threats they may pose to public health," Takano said.

He said he will raise the issue during a congressional briefing Friday.

The Riverside County Department of Public Health released a statement saying that county healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses, were "instructed to wear the appropriate protective clothing whenever they were to interact with the evacuees who landed and were quarantined at March Air Reserve Base.

"Our top priorities were to protect the safety of our staff, the evacuees, residents of the base and those living in the communities surrounding the base," the agency stated.

Meanwhile, across California, 8,400 people are being monitored for symptoms of coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday. A total of 33 people in California have tested positive for the virus, Newsom said — far higher than the CDC's listing of 14.

Newsom said the CDC is sending 10 people to help track whoever had contact with the Solano County woman, who is being treated at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. She was transferred there from another hospital.

There has been criticism of the handling of her case, as she was reportedly hospitalized for four days before a coronavirus test was administered. UC Davis confirmed a lag time between her admission and the test.

Bay City News and City News Service contributed to this report.

See also:

• First CA Person-To-Person COVID-19 Case Is Solano County Resident
• Coronavirus Outbreak In The U.S. Now Likely, The CDC Warns
• Flight Attendant Working Out Of LAX Diagnosed With Coronavirus
• Coronavirus Emergency Declared In Orange County
  
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