Thousands of American Workers Are Being Forced to Work With COVID
With new CDC guidelines and apparent indifference from the White House, scores of workers in the United States find themselves with no choice but to go back to work while still suffering from COVID.
An art teacher at Yung Wing School PS 124 with students in her classroom on January 5, 2022 in New York City. (Michael Loccisano / Getty Images)
Lately, I’m hearing from a lot of people who are frustrated about how working in-person with COVID has become the norm at their job.
Right now, that dilemma is most visible among educators. As Business Insider reported, New York City teachers received an email from the Department of Education that said they can teach in-person five days after testing positive for COVID, even if they have some symptoms. Here’s Insider:
For teachers who test positive, symptoms that would allow them to return include a “minimal cough” — they can’t be “coughing up phlegm” — and symptoms have to be mild or improving. Teachers will have to distance themselves if they take off their “well-fitting higher-level face covering” to eat or drink. They also must “continue to stay at home outside of work” and “observe” other elements of isolation until 10 days pass.
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