it's still the case more than ever that osha needs to be involved in this. host: what should be the focus now with covid-19? little different than other hazards and that the focus of osha is to figure out how to make sure the workplace is safe in the most effective way to do that is to have regulations and a standard where employers must protect workers. osha has had standards for that for people who work on groups or people who dig trenches or people who are exposed to benzene or other carcinogens or even blood-borne pathogens like ebola or hiv aids. not done in this administration is issue a standard to say employers must protect workers. they have issued some guidance

and issued some suggestions. they have not said employers shall do certain things. that one of the industries has come into focus is food plant workers and what they face. the president is using the federal production act when it comes to meet plat -- meatpacking plants. what should be the requirement for those workers when they go to work and what should be provided for them? guest: every country knows the primary way that we protect all of us from exposure is social distancing, six feet of distance plus clubs and handwashing and hand sanitation. in situations where the virus is really flying around, personal protective equipment. those are the requirements. they are the same requirements using hospitals the same requirements we use on public transportation. those should be the same requirements in meatpacking

plants. it's common sense but there are thousands of meat workers who have been infected and some have already died because of exposure. host: when the president use come with does it a requirement or standard that says you have to supply these things or does it fall under suggestions? guest: yes, it falls under suggestions. there is no requirement at all, there is no role for osha to enforce this. it does not give the usda any authority on the usda has no interest in protecting workers. in some ways, it makes everything worse. right now, you have a situation across the country where hundreds of workers are getting .ick at individual plants the companies themselves, or in

some cases pushed by local health authorities or the government, have given up disinfection. during that time, workers gets paid but the workplace gets clean so they can hopefully reopen safely and that's what's been going on across the country. with this invocation of the dpa, as far as i understand it, the plants are not allowed to close. the situation will clearly get worse. not as part of the epa protective order, there is no requirement to keep workers safe. message to thete big operators.

does a worker than have rights under osha, or could they come to osha with concerns? what kind of protections might they receive? >> they do have rights under osha. they can go to osha, but right now osha is not going to help. this is the tragedy of this. not really toed

provide and that they will not do inspections. now they said they will inspect only in high hazard facilities, hospitals and nursing homes. other facilities, like meatpacking plants commit where we have thousands of sick workers, osha is not. osha has gotten thousands of complaints and they are telling workers there is nothing they could do. i wish i could advise workers that they can refuse dangerous work and be safe, but osha has made clear they will not support workers in this. mean to be the bearer of bad news, but what is going on in many states, especially ones with republican governors, our workers are too scared to come in but have to be there. if you say, this is a dangerous cannot do this job,

i'm afraid for my family, you will not be eligible for unemployment. that is the position in georgia. other governors are saying the same thing. that generally for workers who feel concerned about going back to work? >> not across the board, but the example of these plants in georgia where we have huge numbers of workers exposed and significant number is getting position. is the that is a terrible choice to offer people. your money or your life. wrong,nfortunate, it is and we need to fix that. issues thate bloomberg highlighted when it comes to osha is the number of inspectors under its wing. it is 862 inspectors at the start of this year. they say the total and play 16

was 950 two, down from a historic high of 1400 plus in 1980. >> that is this administration has really let osha wither. it is a victim of neglect. there is a hiring freeze. not stand working it's really very unfortunate what is going on with osha right now. i left in january 2017. they have not confirmed an assistant secretary in 40 months. there was a deputy who was acting in my place, but the position was empty for so long

and there was no nominee, so by law, she cannot even continue to be the acting assistant secretary. half of the senior executive positions are empty. the agency is filled with very dedicated professionals who want to do everything they can to protect workers, but they are not working with one hand tied behind their back, but two hands tied behind their back. st: isn't there a systemic problem, as far as the number of inspectors are concerned? guest: absolutely. osha has been starved, and congress is who gives oh show their budget. we had a big bump in the beginning of the obama administration, when democrats controlled the senate and the house. after the 2010 election, you had one ofcans in control in

the two chambers, sometimes both, and the number of inspectors dropped and now it is going down. it is worth saying, though, that while inspectors are important, even if you double the number of inspectors, you will not be able to reach every workplace. right now, osha has the capacity to go till every workplace once every 165 years. that is not the answer. you want to in make -- make the larger, but the issue is with standards. [inaudible] every employer in the industry has to look at their workplace,

get the right equipment to control exposure, and with one standard you could protect literally millions of workers. rules.eds to issue more the process across this is long, cumbersome, took almost 20 years , but there is a piece of the osha law that says in an emergency, in a new situation, like corona -- >> good morning. we'll go ahead and get started with today's press conference. today we have 302 new positive cases for a total of 7145 positive cases in iowa. 89%, almost 90% of today's are in counties where restrictions will remain in place.