The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has informed employees that they must return to the office no later than September 15, approximately five weeks after a deadly shooting incident at the agency's Atlanta headquarters.
CDC's new Chief Operating Officer Lynda Chapman stated in an email sent Thursday: "Your safety remains our top priority. We are taking the necessary steps to restore the workplace and will resume normal on-site operations no later than Monday, September 15."
Chapman indicated in the email that all employees must return to their respective offices by the specified date. For staff whose work areas remain affected by the shooting incident, the CDC will provide alternative office spaces within the campus.
She noted that "significant progress" has been made in restoration work at the CDC's Roybal campus in Atlanta. Chapman added that CDC leadership and the "Response and Recovery Management" team are addressing employee concerns to ensure a safe environment during the agency's transition back to on-site work.
Two sources familiar with the matter revealed that following the August 8 shooting incident, the CDC had instructed employees to work remotely, with staff having the option to return to the office in subsequent weeks.
The Department of Health and Human Services has not provided an immediate response to requests for comment.
This internal notification comes during a turbulent period for the CDC and its employees. While no CDC staff were injured in the shooting, the incident shocked employees already reeling from major reforms implemented by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including layoffs and his controversial attempts to modify CDC vaccination policies and dismiss the agency's vaccine advisory panel.
Furthermore, the CDC is facing leadership upheaval, making the return-to-office directive particularly notable: earlier this week, the White House announced that President Trump had dismissed CDC Director Susan Monarez. Four additional senior officials have resigned, with some attributing their departures to the agency's politicization and threats to public health initiatives.
Authorities have identified the CDC headquarters shooter as Patrick Joseph White and reported that five firearms and over 500 shell casings were recovered from the scene. During the attack, agency employees were forced to barricade themselves in their offices for safety.
White fatally shot 33-year-old police officer David Rose, who responded to the incident, before taking his own life. White had previously claimed that COVID vaccines had caused him to experience depression and suicidal thoughts.
According to an email sent by Monarez to employees on August 12, before her dismissal, she appeared to directly attribute the shooting incident to the influence of misinformation.
Monarez stated in the email: "The dangers of misinformation and its dissemination have now resulted in deadly consequences. I will work through science, evidence, and clear objectives to rebuild trust among those who have lost faith in public health. I need your support."