Trump Says He’s Looking at Hazard Pay for Health-Care Workers

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said his administration is considering ways to compensate health-care workers with supplemental hazard pay as they grapple with the coronavirus outbreak.

“It’s something we’re discussing in terms of bonus or bonus pay,” Trump said Wednesday evening during a White House briefing. “They’re like warriors, they’re like soldiers,” he said of doctors, nurses and other health-care workers dealing with the pandemic.

The administration has previously signaled it would pursue hazard pay for health workers as part of a phase four emergency plan with the U.S. Congress. The call for additional pay has come amid reports that many hospital employees are caring for coronavirus patients without adequate protective gear, like masks.

Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at the same briefing on Wednesday, said the administration is “making great progress” in procuring equipment for the health workers and wants to ensure that they are compensated for working under hazardous conditions.

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