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Law360 (September 4, 2020, 6:27 PM EDT) -- COVID-19 response procedures undertaken by the U.S. General Services Administration at the public buildings it oversees, which include federal courthouses, could lead to increased exposure to and transmission of the virus, the agency's Office of Inspector General said Thursday.
The GSA's Public Building Service didn't always receive timely notices of COVID-19 cases from its building occupants and didn't always provide timely notification of such cases, the OIG audit found.
"In addition, because PBS does not have a standard inspection process for COVID-19 cleaning and disinfection services, it does not have assurance that contractors are cleaning and disinfecting space in accordance with PBS and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance," the audit said.
The audit involved analyzing a select sample of 11 COVID-19 cases reported in GSA buildings between March and May, reviewing case files to determine how the PBS responded. Under the process the agency laid out for responding to the outbreak, tenants were to immediately notify the PBS of a positive case and all of the staff at the facility.
"However, PBS did not always receive timely notice of COVID-19 positive test results from building occupants," the OIG said. "In two cases, we observed significant lags in time between when tenant agencies became aware of an employee's positive COVID-19 test result and when the agencies notified PBS. In both cases, approximately one week passed before PBS was notified."
The PBS was also tasked with notifying building occupants once aware of a case, the audit said, but in four instances it took longer than 24 hours for a notification to go out, including an instance in which it took 16 days and another where it took seven.
The agency has not updated its contractor oversight plans for COVID-19 cleaning and, therefore, can't be sure they're cleaning and disinfecting space in accordance with applicable requirements, the audit said.
"PBS stated that it required all custodial contractors to submit a pandemic plan, but that it was not required to enhance or modify the contractor oversight plans for the custodial contracts we tested," it said. "However, PBS' reliance on a contractor-supplied pandemic plan does not absolve PBS of its responsibility to inspect work and ensure that it is performed in accordance with PBS and CDC guidance."
The watchdog said the Public Building Service should take immediate action to address these issues.
"As the cases continue to occur across the country and federal employees return to facilities in greater numbers, it is critical that PBS follow its own procedures and engage in close coordination with its tenant agencies in order to limit exposure to and spread of COVID-19," it said.
--Editing by Philip Shea.
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