DOJ employees told to wear masks in common areas

Department of Justice employees have been instructed to wear masks in common areas of the agency’s buildings, according to a Tuesday memo obtained by CNN.

Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen directed agency employees to follow Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) coronavirus guidelines to wear face coverings in public settings.

Justice Department workers are permitted to remove their face covering only in a private office, cubicle or workspace where they can keep at least six feet of distance from others, the memo reportedly says.

The instruction comes as many department workers continue to work from home and avoid the office because of the pandemic.

Attorney General William Barr has called U.S. efforts to fight the virus “draconian” but has acknowledged they are needed to fight the spread of COVID-19. Barr told Fox News last week that he wears a mask around the department as he continues to work, as well as during his commute.

Other federal agencies, such as the Pentagon, also have directed their employees to come to work wearing face coverings to prevent the coronavirus from spreading further. 

The coronavirus has infected a confirmed 609,995 people and caused 26,069 deaths in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University.