Ballard Spahr lawyers have sued the federal government on behalf of New York City plaintiffs who alleged a “pattern of misconduct and neglect” in its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lawsuit, filed late Oct. 30 in Manhattan federal court, claimed that the agencies tasked with coordinating the nation’s pandemic response had offloaded their responsibilities to overburdened local governments and private entities in violation of federal statutes requiring the implementation of a “biosurveillance” network, cohesive reporting databases and public participation in crafting policy.