Although nearly two weeks had passed since the United States’ first coronavirus patient died outside of Seattle, many nurses on this call still found themselves awash in conflicting information about how to stay safe. Union leaders tried to set the record straight. Nurses and other health care workers are at high risk of contracting the disease, and they’re panicking, saying hospitals and the government aren’t doing enough to limit their exposure. Despite such concerns, the U.S. Department of Labor has refused to issue an emergency rule requiring hospitals to create a plan to protect their employees from exposure to the coronavirus and other infectious diseases, according to records obtained by the Center for Public Integrity.

https://publicintegrity.org/health/coronavirus-and-inequality/the-labor-department-wont-take-steps-to-protect-health-care-workers-from-the-coronavirus/