A National Park Service employee in Alaska quit after being denied permission to take administrative leave during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a local media report.
Dustin Stone, who worked at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Skagway, said the Park Service was not taking adequate precautions to protect the staff from the disease. While the park's buildings are closed to visitors, Stone said his superintendent wouldn't allow him to take administrative leave, saying that would have to be decided by officials in the Park Service's Washington, D.C., headquarters.
Stone told radio station KHNS that he thought leave was appropriate "because Skagway is such a small community, and we've all seen the flu rip through and affect half of the town over the course of a few days."
The employee also compared how staff was handled last year during the partial government shutdown, when most were sent home because the Park Service couldn't pay them, and during the current virus outbreak.
"During a time of national pandemic, we are spending time sitting around and debating and arguing and hemming and hawing about what's right," said Stone. "When the right thing to do is send your employees home, close your parks, and figure out what comes next."
National Park Service officials in Washington did not immediately respond Friday morning to Traveler's request for comment.
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This information is not correct. I work at Klondike Gold Rush NHP. No one at this park (or any other park that I am aware of) was "denied permission to take administrative leave". On the contrary, staff were told any and all leave request would be liberally approved.
Smarten up Zion national Park you're putting your Park service employees at risk and the surrounding community of Springdale you got an excess of people coming in you're not doing anything to help the coronavirus please stop before it's too late I understand the superintendent's can be in charge of shutting a national park down come on let's get it done Moab has the idea of keeping out of their of their area very smart.thank God the shuttle system is shut down that was a breeding ground.please stop putting people's lives at risk they can stay home in their own backyard. Anything that can be done about this comment would be greatly appreciated let's save some lives