United Nurses Want Hospital-Issued Scrubs

ST. PAUL (AP) -- Nurses at United Hospital in St. Paul are concerned that they've been asked to personally clean their own scrubs, putting them and their families at undue risk.

Emergency room nurse Cliff Willmeng says they should be able to use hospital-issued scrubs so they don't have to take their personal garments home which could carry COVID-19 germs.

Willmeng says it's a ``clear workplace safety issue.'' He says the ER has seen a large increase in the number of patients with suspected coronavirus this week when it was at near capacity.

Allina Health, which runs United Hospital, issued a statement which says it's following policies and practices recommended by infection protection experts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that disposable gloves should be used when doing laundry at home for a sick person and that garments should not be shaken and hampers should be disinfected afterward. Because of this insufficient standard.''