Bloomberg warns campaign staff they’ve been exposed to COVID-19 – then lays them off hours later

On Thursday night, Mike Bloomberg's now-defunct presidential campaign alerted staffers that two floors of its New York headquarters were exposed to coronavirus. Just hours later, they were all let go, according to a report from POLITICO.

The dismissed Bloomberg employees in the New York City headquarters will lose health insurance after March 31. POLITICO reports that staffers who were stationed in battleground states will have health coverage until the end of April.

In an email titled, “Building Update - 229 West 43rd Street,” the campaign’s human resources department wrote: “We’ve just become aware of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the office at 229 West 43rd Street impacting the 5th and 8th floor.”

The email sparked panic among some staffers who realized they would only have health insurance for 11 more days.

“Think about the potential of someone getting hospitalized on April 1, without coverage, fighting for their life and now being strapped with massive medical debt,” said a staffer who shared the email with POLITICO. “The campaign's refusal to extend health care benefits is unconscionable and putting people at grave risk. This is not how you treat people who sacrificed a lot to work for you.”