根据美国广播公司新闻的最新分析冠状病毒最近几天，美国的华盛顿特区、弗吉尼亚州和马里兰州的病例、阳性率和住院率都有所上升。
尽管人数在不断攀升，但美国国务院本周宣布，它已进入重新开放计划的第二阶段——这引发了包括许多无法或不愿回国的员工的焦虑和愤怒。
该部门只是几个政府机构中的一个，在这些机构中，雇员和他们的工会表达了对过早重返工作岗位并把他们置于危险境地的担忧。
根据该部5月份启动的“外交强势”计划，第二个重新开放阶段预计将在案件数量出现14天下降趋势、公共交通、学校或日托以及开放非必要业务的情况下开始。
尽管其中一些条件尚未得到满足，但美国国务院一位发言人周五对ABC新闻表示，进入第二阶段的决定是由国务院领导层做出的，“在白宫、疾病控制和预防中心(CDC)和地方政府的指导下，结合数据和良好判断得出的客观标准。”
对一些员工来说，最麻烦的是第二阶段有40%到80%的员工在华盛顿特区的工厂现场工作。
但它也表示，尽管强制性远程工作已被“取消”，但据美国广播公司新闻部当时获得的一份副本称，该机构内部的各个部门“被鼓励在任务需要的情况下尽可能继续提供远程工作机会。”
该部门发言人没有说每个办公室是否必须至少有40%的员工返回工作岗位，只是说第二阶段“允许多达80%的部门员工返回工作岗位。”
在美国东部时间下午1点收听美国广播公司，在美国东部时间每个工作日下午4点收听美国广播公司新闻直播，了解美国广播公司新闻团队对新型冠状病毒的特别报道，包括最新新闻、背景和分析。
但美国国务院在对美国广播公司新闻的声明中表示，各办公室将有一定的灵活性来做出决定:“弱势群体中的员工不需要回到办公室。”在这一阶段，考虑到健康、儿童保育、老年人和交通问题，远程工作的灵活性仍然受到鼓励。”
尽管如此，许多员工还是对他们的老板是否有权做出决定感到困惑。
美国外交服务协会周三在一份声明中表示:“我们希望国务院重新考虑这一决定，或者至少确保没有最低比例的员工必须报到上班。”
AFSA已经敦促部门领导扭转第二阶段的局面，员工们在同一天周一就接到了通知。
该工会表示:“虽然我们和会员们一样渴望回到现场工作，但AFSA认为，该部门制定的标准——数据、特定地点的地面条件和员工安全——尚未得到满足。”该工会还表示，周一在给国务卿迈克·庞贝(Mike Pompeo)的一封信中，该工会表达了“严重关切”，尤其是对家长而言，因为该地区大多数学校实际上都在秋季继续教学。
一位发言人告诉美国广播公司新闻，到目前为止，AFSA还没有收到该机构的回应。新闻部发言人没有回答美国广播公司新闻的后续问题。
据NBC新闻报道，除了AFSA，一个由数百名在华盛顿特区工作的员工组成的小组还组织了一封给部门领导的信，要求他们继续“最大限度地提高工作场所的灵活性”，比如远程办公。
Anxiety, anger as State Dept. moves ahead with reopening despite area infection rate
According to the latest ABC News analysis of thecoronavirus’s spread, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland have all seen increases in cases, rates of positivity, and hospitalizations in recent days.
Despite those climbing numbers, the State Department announced this week that it has moved ahead to the second phase of its reopening plan -- sparking anxiety and anger among a workforce comprising many unable or unwilling to return.
The department is just one of several government agencies at which employees and their unions have expressed concern about returning to work too soon and putting them at risk.
According to the department's "Diplomacy Strong" plan, which was launched in May, the second reopening phase is supposed to begin when there is a 14-day downward trend in cases, as well as the availability of public transit, schools or day cares, and open non-essential businesses.
While some of those conditions have not been met, a State Department spokesperson told ABC News Friday the move to phase two was made by department leadership "using guidance from the White House, CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], and local governments combined with objective criteria informed by data and good judgment."
What's most troubling to several employees is that phase two involves 40% to 80% of employees working on-site at facilities in the D.C. area.
But it also says while mandatory telework is "lifted," individual bureaus within the agency "are encouraged to continue telework opportunities whenever possible within mission needs," according to a copy obtained at the time by ABC News.
The department spokesperson would not say whether each office must have a minimum of 40% of its employees back at work, only that phase two "allows up to 80% of Department employees to return."
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But in its statement to ABC News, the State Department indicated there will be some flexibility for individual offices to decide: "Employees who are in vulnerable populations are not required to return to the office. During this phase, telework flexibilities are still encouraged given health, childcare, eldercare, and transportation concerns," it said.
Still, many employees have been left confused about whether their bosses are empowered to decide.
"We hope that the Department reconsiders this decision or, at the very least, ensures that there is no minimum percentage of employees which must report to work," the American Foreign Service Association, the Foreign Service's union, said in a statement Wednesday.
AFSA has urged department leadership to reverse phase two, which employees were notified Monday began that same day.
"While we share our members' eagerness to get back to in-person work, AFSA believes that the criteria set out by the Department -- data, conditions on the ground in specific locations, and employee safety -- have not been met," the union said, adding that it expressed "serious concerns" in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Monday, particularly for parents, since most schools in the area are continuing to teach virtually into the fall.
So far, AFSA has not received a response from the agency, a spokesperson told ABC News. The department spokesperson has not responded to ABC News' follow-up questions.
In addition to AFSA, a group of hundreds of D.C.-based career employees organized a letter to department leaders asking them to continue "maximizing workplace flexibilities" like telework, according to NBC News.
