A lawsuit from the New York State Nurses Association claiming the state's health department and two hospitals didn't provide proper personal protective equipment or use safety measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus was dismissed by the U.S. District Court, according to Reuters.
In April, the nurse association's suit accused the Montefiore Medical Center and the owner of the Westchester Medical Center of neglecting their responsibilities by not providing health care workers N95 masks each day in accordance with a directive from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The group also said the New York Department of Health didn't enforce said directive.
"Both sides presumably share the ultimate goal of maximizing protections for healthcare workers on the front lines of the battle against a vicious disease without compromising patient care," Jesse Fruman, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York, said in the proceeding.
The court said it lacked the authority to help the nurse association have its request met, leaving it to both sides to reach an amicable agreement.
The judge requested the health department and two hospitals to act quickly to meet the nurses' requests. The state and the hospitals said they were already doing what was needed to protect the nurses.
"The parties are plainly in a better position than either the Court or an arbitrator to find the best ways to achieve that goal despite limited resources and ever-changing circumstances," Fruman said.
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