All CDC staff nationwide to work remotely following deadly shooting outside Atlanta headquarters

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a nationwide notice for all staff and employees following Friday’s deadly shooting outside the Atlanta headquarters.

According to a source, the CDC on Sunday approved all staff at all locations to move to telework through Monday, with the exception of critical services, as they continue to monitor security and safety measures. Staff who do not have an approved situation/ad hoc telework agreement are also approved.

On Sunday, Gloria Lopez visited the site where the chaos unfolded to pay homage to fallen officer David Rose and show support for a shaken CDC community.

“It’s beyond belief. There’s no need for it. It’s senseless,” Lopez said. “I just think people need time. We rush into things too quickly. We worry about the unimportant things instead of the important things. What’s unimportant is that you get back to work and get your job done. What is important is that you spend time and reflect on what happened and have time to think about your loved ones. That’s what is important.”

The CDC says staff members who cannot telework for other reasons “can be granted weather and safety leave by their supervisor.” Staff affected by Friday’s shooting will be given administrative leave through Monday.

Those who have to report to a CDC campus while its closed will need to reach out to their supervisor to figure out if they should report to the campus. Staff who have 24/7 access to campus will be given access.

“We understand that this is a very emotional and difficult time,” the CDC said in the notice. “Please remember that CDC’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to eligible staff, offering confidential, on-cost counseling services, support groups and additional resources. These counseling services are also available remotely for employees who are not on-site.”

Jeanne Cole and her friends also agree the CDC community needs time to heal, and they made a special trip to the campus to show their support for all involved.

“I don’t know how these people could handle that. I know I couldn’t,” Cole said. “We were just coming back home from the Braves game and we wanted to see the memorial and stopped and bought some flowers to put there because I know he was a good man.”

Atlanta News First has also learned that a union representing CDC employees has said this attack violated collective safety and they will not accept this as business as usual and temporary fixes won’t cut it. They went on to say they will not stop fighting for safety, dignity and healing.

Atlanta News First was able to speak with employees at the Atlanta headquarters following the shooting, who said they had just left about 10 minutes before shots were fired.

RELATED: CDC employees speak out about fatal shooting on campus

Although the CDC headquarters will be closed, the nearby CVS Pharmacy store will be re-opened on Monday but will remain closed Sunday.

On Friday, a man opened fire outside the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, leaving bullet marks in windows across the campus and killing a DeKalb County police officer, before he was found dead in a nearby building, authorities said.

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