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New White House directive puts stringent policies for federal employees in place

Much more stringent guidelines are being put into place for COVID-19 safety protocols in federal buildings.

WASHINGTON — The White House has just issued new guidelines for federal agencies that lay out a number of steps designed to protect employees against COVID-19. 

The directive is signed by Aviva Aron-Dine, the newly installed Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The purpose of the directive is to provide all federal agencies with specific guidance on how to implement President Biden's executive order on "Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask Wearing."

The new eight page White House directive includes orders about:

- No federal building should operate above 25% of normal occupancy.

- Creates a coronavirus testing plan for the federal workforce.

- Sets up a Covid-19 coordination team at each federal agency.

Many employees have continued to telework successfully through the pandemic, but WUSA9 has learned many IRS employees are being summoned back into the office effective Monday, February 1. 

WUSA9 is awaiting comment from the IRS on this topic.

Northern Virginia Congressman Don Beyer represents more federal employees than any other member of the House of Representatives. He says his constituents have relayed a mix of stories about successful work-from-home experiences. 

"Others though have felt very much at risk. Forced to come into offices that were far more crowded than COVID-19 would suggest," said Rep Beyer. 

The new White House directive also sets up a task force to be co-chaired by the directors of OPM, GSA and the White House Covid-19 response coordinator to oversee COVID-19 workplace safety plans throughout the federal government.

WUSA9 has been committed to telling stories about federal workers and their concerns about the government's lackluster response to the worsening Coronavirus threat.

We've published a number of stories about USPS employees, IRS workers, VA Hospital employees and other government employees since the pandemic began in March of 2020. 

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"I left to save my life. Because I knew at some point I'm going to get sick," said former IRS employee Valarie Gilkey.

Gilkey worked for the IRS at a service center in Ogden, Utah until May 2020. She resigned due to concerns about her health and growing frustration with the federal government's Covid-19 response.

"It was chaotic (under President Trump)," says Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). "No one seemed to know what agencies were supposed to do and there was no really central direction."

It wasn't just IRS employees, of course. Thousands of federal employees in the DC metropolitan area and thousands more coast-to-coast who remained at work were saddled with balancing their personal safety against the threat of losing their jobs. 

"Part of the challenge was that the President (Trump) didn't take it all that seriously," said Rep Don Beyer (D-VA). "Sometimes it was big. Sometime it was a hoax. Sometimes it would magically go away."

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