With coronavirus cases surging, nurses in North Dakota demand a statewide mask mandate
Nurses in North Dakota are pushing back against a new policy stating that they can continue working after testing positive for the coronavirus, as long as they do not show any symptoms and only treat COVID-19 patients.
North Dakota has the worst infection and death rates per person in the United States, and is experiencing a shortage of health care workers and hospital beds. Gov. Doug Burgum (R) announced the new policy on Monday, and the North Dakota Nurses Association said in a statement on Wednesday it "recommends that all other public health measures to reduce the demand on the health care system and address staffing shortages are deployed before implementing this particular strategy."
The nurses are urging Burgum to impose a statewide mask mandate, rather than encourage people to wear masks while outside, and said that while it's clear the state is experiencing a crisis, "if a nurse believes they are not well enough to provide safe patient care and chooses not to work under these circumstances, employers should not retaliate against the nurse for making this decision."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
'The mental gymnastics were breathtaking at times'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Movies to watch in December, including 'Nosferatu' and 'Babygirl'
The Week Recommends A vampire classic reimagined, a Bob Dylan biopic, and an erotic thriller
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
What's next in Syria's civil war?
Today's Big Question Rebels seize Aleppo, putting Assad on defense
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu one mutuation from human threat, study finds
Speed Read A Scripps Research Institute study found one genetic tweak of the virus could enable its spread among people
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dark chocolate tied to lower diabetes risk
Speed Read The findings were based on the diets of about 192,000 US adults over 34 years
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ACA opens 2025 enrollment, enters 2024 race
Speed Read Mike Johnson promises big changes to the Affordable Care Act if Trump wins the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
McDonald's sued over E. coli linked to burger
Speed Read The outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states and left one dead
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Seattle Children's Hospital sues Texas over 'sham' demand for transgender medical records
Speed Read Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subpoenaed records of any Texan who received gender-affirming care at the Washington hospital
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published