Key Trump coronavirus task force must work at home after positive COVID-19 test
The positive test for coronavirus, announced in an email to Federal Emergency Management Agency staff Monday night, will empty the supply chain war room.
April 7, 2020, 12:02 PM EDT
By Jonathan Allen and Pete Williams
A critical White House unit that is getting, shipping and distributing goods to fight the spread of the coronavirus has been ordered to vacate its war room and begin working from home after a "partner" of the group tested positive for COVID-19, according to an email that Federal Emergency Management Agency officials sent to staff members late Monday night.
"Until further notice, all personnel in the Supply Chain Resilience task force" on a particular floor of one of FEMA's buildings "and the FEMA Conference Center are required to telework," according to an email obtained by NBC News and confirmed by a FEMA official. The message was sent to FEMA headquarters staff at 11:17 p.m. ET Monday.
The "Conference Center" is a war room set up in the FEMA complex in Washington where Admiral John Polowczyk's supply chain unit, a sub-task force within Vice President Mike Pence's larger task force that has gotten particular attention from presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner, works to find and allocate personal protective equipment and other materials needed to combat the spread of coronavirus.
Polowczyk and members of his unit were listed as recipients of the email.
It was not immediately clear what effect the new teleworking situation would have on the work of the task force, which has been highly visible thanks to Polowczyk's appearances at daily White House briefings.
It has also been highly controversial. One reason for that is the involvement of Kushner, who is simultaneously deeply engaged in President Donald Trump's re-election campaign. The task force has also drawn criticism for circumventing existing federal procedures and structures in ways that critics say have created delays, inefficiencies and cost increases in acquiring goods for the coronavirus fight.
Before Monday night's email, the task force members were working together in the conference center war room rather than from separate locations.
more:
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/key-trump-coronavirus-task-force-must-work-home-after-positive-n1178331?cid=eml_nbn_20200407
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