Washington health officials depart from CDC guidelines on protective equipment amid coronavirus outbreak

In her statement, Sally Watkins, executive director of the Washington State Nurses Association, said that N95 respirators are the necessary, minimum protection for nurses and health care workers.

“In Washington state, we have heard from nurses that they don’t feel they have the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need, are not getting adequate real-time training, and don’t feel prepared,” Watkins said in the news release. “Lowering the standards for protective gear will weaken the ability of nurses and other frontline caregivers to safely care for their patients in this public health emergency. N95 respirators are the necessary and minimum protection for our nurses and healthcare workers.”