Nurses suspended after refusing to work in coronavirus ward without proper protection

Personal protective equipment.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Ten nurses at Providence St. John's Medical Center in Santa Monica, California, were suspended after saying they would not work inside the hospital's coronavirus ward without adequate personal protective equipment, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Nurses working with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients were reportedly told by hospital administrators that a paper surgical mask is safe. Due to shortages of more protective N95 masks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has permitted the use of surgical masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.