Registered nurses are outraged to learn that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Tuesday further weakened its guidance on measures to contain COVID-19. These changes include, among other things, rolling back personal protective equipment (PPE) standards from N-95 respirators to allow simple surgical masks; not requiring suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients to be placed in negative pressure isolation rooms at all times; and weakening protections for health care workers collecting diagnostic respiratory specimens.

Registered nurses, joined by San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa, will hold an emergency press conference Friday morning to call for urgent action to stop the threatened immediate closure of Seton Medical Center in San Mateo – an action nurses warn could endanger countless residents in the midst of the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

Daly City Council Member Pamela DiGiovanni and Colma Mayor John Goodwin, are also expected to join the press conference.

Registered nurses have asked the San Mateo Board of Supervisors to call a study session on March 4th to discuss potential health impacts if Verity Health System closes Seton Medical Center.

Nurses hope to stop the closure.

“Seton Medical Center provides vital services to an underserved community here in San Mateo County,” said Debra Amour, a registered nurse who works in the ICU. “We know that if Seton closes, public health will suffer, and patients’ lives will be at risk.”