In response, North Bay congressman John Garamendi, Riverside County congressman Mark Takano and San Diego congressman Scott Peters – all of whom represent districts where evacuees from China are staying – asked for a briefing from HHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the situation.

So far, they say, no briefing has been held.

"My California colleagues and I sent a letter to HHS asking for a specific, definitive information on the whistleblower's complaint," said Garamendi. "To this date, we have not had that information. Even though the head of the CDC promised that they would get back to us."

Officials with HHS have said that no employees from the ACF were exposed to the COVID-19 virus.

"There are no positive cases of COVID-19 to which any ACF employees involved in the repatriation of individuals from China could have been exposed. Stated differently, no ACF employees involved with repatriating persons from China were exposed to any individuals who tested positive for the virus,” said an HHS spokesperson in a statement.