(CNN) A whistleblower at the Department of Health and Human Services is seeking federal protection after complaining that more than a dozen workers who received the first Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, lacked proper training or protective gear for coronavirus infection control.

"We are hopeful that Congress and the OSC will investigate this case in a timely and comprehensive manner," Ari Wilkenfeld, a lawyer for the whistleblower, told CNN. "This matter concerns HHS's response to the coronavirus, and its failure to protect its employees and potentially the public. The retaliatory efforts to intimidate and silence our client must be opposed."

The House Ways and Means Committee sent letters to Health and Human Services Secretary Alexander Azar, the HHS Deputy Inspector General, and the comptroller's office requesting more information after the complaint was submitted.

"The report alleges that staff were sent into quarantined areas 'without personal protective equipment, training, or experience in managing public health emergencies, safety protocols, and the potential danger to both themselves and members of the public they come into contact with,'" the letter states. "The whistleblower also reported that when staff raised safety concerns, they were 'admonished by (redacted) for 'decreasing staff morale,' accused of not being team players, and had their mental health and emotional stability questioned.'"

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