By Steve Neavling
Nearly 900 Secret Service employees tested positive for the coronavirus in the first year of the pandemic, representing 11% of the workforce, according to records obtained by a government watchdog group.
Between March 1, 2020, and March, 9, 2021, 881 active Secret Service employees were infected with COVID-19, far more than previously known, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) revealed.
The list of employees who tested positive were 477 special agents, 249 members of the Uniformed Division, 131 working in administrative, professional and technical positions, 12 investigative protection officers, and 12 technical security investigators.
More than half of those infected worked in the special agent division, which is tasked with protecting the president, vice president and their families.
President Trump’s administration downplayed the pandemic. When Trump was infected with COVID-19, he was criticized for putting Secret Service agents at risk during a drive in his presidential vehicle to wave at cameras.
It’s unclear how many infections were the result of the administration’s actions – or lack of actions.
“Maintaining the health and welfare of its dedicated workforce is a top priority for the Secret Service,” the Secret Service said in a statement to CNN. “The agency also secured the CDC- recommended PPE including masks, shields, gloves, and other equipment and ensured it was distributed to employees around the world.”
