There_EX0 were_VBD days_NN2 ,_PUN nights_NN2 and_CJC weekends_NN2 in_PRP the_AT0 early_AJ0 months_NN2 of_PRF the_AT0 pandemic_AJ0 when_CJS Denise_NP0 Von_NP0 Bargen_NP0 was_VBD the_AT0 only_AJ0 person_NN1 running_VVG coronavirus_NN1 tests_NN2 at_PRP the_AT0 public_AJ0 health_NN1 lab_NN1 in_PRP Ventura_NP0 County_NN1 ._SENT She_PNP once_AV0 had_VHD eight_CRD or_CJC nine_CRD employees_NN2 to_TO0 assist_VVI her_PNP ,_PUN but_CJC ,_PUN one_PNI by_PRP one_PNI ,_PUN they_PNP had_VHD all_AV0 retired_VVN or_CJC left_VVN for_PRP other_AJ0 jobs_NN2 ._SENT Like_PRP other_AJ0 public_AJ0 health_NN1 laboratories_NN2 in_PRP California_NP0 charged_VVN with_PRP broad-scale_AJ0 disease_NN1 testing_NN1 and_CJC surveillance_NN1 ,_PUN the_AT0 Ventura_NP0 lab_NN1 received_VVD federal_AJ0 and_CJC state_NN1 money_NN1 for_PRP new_AJ0 equipment_NN1 and_CJC short-term_AJ0 hires_NN2 to_TO0 bolster_VVI its_DPS response_NN1 to_PRP COVID-19_NN1 ._SENT But_CJC the_AT0 funding_NN1 was_VBD temporary_AJ0 ,_PUN and_CJC Von_NP0 Bargen_NP0 ,_PUN the_AT0 director_NN1 ,_PUN could_VM0 not_XX0 use_VVI it_PNP to_TO0 increase_VVI the_AT0 salaries_NN2 of_PRF her_DPS employees_NN2 ,_PUN who_PNQ could_VM0 earn_VVI more_DT0 money_NN1 doing_VDG less_DT0 work_NN1 in_PRP the_AT0 private_AJ0 sector_NN1 ._SENT Operations_NN2 deteriorated_VVD further_AV0 last_ORD month_NN1 ,_PUN after_PRP the_AT0 lab_NN1 lost_VVD its_DPS license_NN1 to_TO0 run_VVI routine_AJ0 tests_NN2 that_CJT check_VVB the_AT0 county_NN1 's_POS ocean_NN1 water_NN1 for_PRP deadly_AJ0 bacteria_NN2 ._SENT It_PNP appears_VVZ to_TO0 have_VHI been_VBN a_AT0 clerical_AJ0 error_NN1 :_PUN The_AT0 licensing_AJ0 paperwork_NN1 changed_VVN ,_PUN and_CJC the_AT0 staff_NN0 typically_AV0 responsible_AJ0 for_PRP submitting_VVG the_AT0 application_NN1 had_VHD quit_VVN ._SENT "_PUQ The_AT0 biggest_AJS threat_NN1 to_PRP [_PUL public_AJ0 health_NN1 labs_NN2 ]_PUR right_AV0 now_AV0 is_VBZ not_XX0 the_AT0 next_ORD emerging_AJ0 pathogen_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ said_VVD Donna_NP0 Ferguson_NP0 ,_PUN director_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 public_AJ0 health_NN1 lab_NN1 in_PRP Monterey_NP0 County_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ but_CJC labs_NN2 closing_VVG due_AJ0 to_PRP lack_NN1 of_PRF staffing_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ Across_PRP California_NP0 ,_PUN public_AJ0 health_NN1 departments_NN2 are_VBB losing_VVG experienced_AJ0 staffers_NN2 to_PRP retirement_NN1 ,_PUN exhaustion_NN1 ,_PUN partisan_AJ0 politics_NN1 and_CJC higher-paying_AJ0 jobs_NN2 ._SENT Even_AV0 before_CJS the_AT0 pandemic_AJ0 throttled_AJ0 departments_NN2 ,_PUN staffing_NN1 numbers_NN2 had_VHD shrunk_VVN with_PRP county_NN1 budgets_NN2 ._SENT But_CJC the_AT0 decline_NN1 has_VHZ accelerated_VVN over_PRP the_AT0 past_AJ0 year_NN1 and_CJC a_AT0 half_NN1 ,_PUN even_AV0 as_CJS millions_CRD of_PRF dollars_NN2 in_PRP federal_AJ0 money_NN1 has_VHZ poured_VVN in_AVP ._SENT Public_AJ0 health_NN1 nurses_NN2 ,_PUN microbiologists_NN2 ,_PUN epidemiologists_NN2 ,_PUN health_NN1 officers_NN2 and_CJC other_AJ0 staff_NN0 members_NN2 who_PNQ fend_VVB off_AVP infectious_AJ0 diseases_NN2 like_PRP tuberculosis_NN1 and_CJC HIV_NP0 ,_PUN inspect_VVB restaurants_NN2 and_CJC work_VVB to_TO0 keep_VVI communities_NN2 healthy_AJ0 are_VBB abandoning_VVG the_AT0 field_NN1 ._SENT It_PNP 's_VBZ a_AT0 problem_NN1 that_CJT temporary_AJ0 boosts_NN2 in_PRP funding_NN1 ca_VM0 n't_XX0 fix_VVI ._SENT The_AT0 brain_NN1 drain_NN1 is_VBZ sapping_VVG community_NN1 health_NN1 oversight_NN1 in_PRP ways_NN2 big_AJ0 and_CJC small_AJ0 ._SENT The_AT0 people_NN0 who_PNQ staff_NN0 public_AJ0 health_NN1 labs_NN2 ,_PUN for_PRP example_NN1 ,_PUN run_VVB complex_AJ0 tests_NN2 for_PRP deadly_AJ0 diseases_NN2 that_CJT require_VVB specialized_AJ0 training_NN1 most_AV0 commercial_AJ0 labs_NN2 lack_NN1 ._SENT While_CJS their_DPS work_NN1 is_VBZ largely_AV0 unseen_AJ0 by_PRP the_AT0 general_AJ0 public_NN1 ,_PUN they_PNP touch_VVB almost_AV0 every_AT0 aspect_NN1 of_PRF society_NN1 ._SENT Public_AJ0 health_NN1 labs_NN2 sample_VVB shellfish_NN0 to_TO0 make_VVI sure_AJ0 it_PNP is_VBZ safe_AJ0 for_PRP eating_VVG ._SENT They_PNP monitor_VVB drinking_VVG water_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC develop_VVB tests_NN2 for_PRP emerging_AJ0 health_NN1 threats_NN2 such_DT0 as_PRP antibiotic-resistant_AJ0 bacteria_NN2 ._SENT They_PNP also_AV0 test_VVB for_PRP serious_AJ0 diseases_NN2 ,_PUN such_DT0 as_PRP measles_NN0 and_CJC COVID-19_NN1 ._SENT 
