Lake County Gazette

Illinois' auditor general recently released a new report related to the 2020 COVID outbreak at LaSalle Veterans' Home. Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) has given a statement on the matter saying he is glad that the acts of the Pritzker administration are finally coming to light.

"36 deaths, well over 100 COVID illnesses, and an attempted coverup by the Pritzker Administration. I'm glad the Auditor General set the record straight regarding who failed to act," Wilcox posted on his website.

According to Illinois Newsroom, a the report from the state's auditor general that shows that the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) was at fault and had a delayed response to the outbreak at LaSalle. "The virus hit the home very quickly with a large number of residents and staff positive within a few days," the auditor general report stated. "As a result, it was unclear whether non-adherence to policy caused the virus to spread so quickly or whether the rapid spread was due to other factors." The auditor general's report has called the initial OIG report 'flawed.'

The report points to delayed COVID testing as a potential contributor to the outbreak, according to WQAD. The report also states that health officials "did not offer any advice or assistance as to how to slow the spread at the Home, offer to provide additional rapid COVID-19 tests, and were unsure of the availability of the antibody treatments for long-term care settings prior to being requested by the IDVA (Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs) Chief of Staff." The report has called for establishing firmer testing procedures in all veteran facilities so that such an outbreak is not repeated.

IDPH officials neglected to visit LaSalle Veterans' Home for two weeks after the outbreak was first reported, according to The Pantagraph. And when they visited, they found out that there were no personal protective equipment, and basic necessities like hand sanitizers were not present. According to the auditor general's report, IDPH "did not identify and respond to the seriousness of the outbreak." LaSalle administrations did have access to COVID-19 specific guidelines but no effort was shown to stopping the spread of the virus.

"This is unacceptable," said state Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Woodhull), as reported by WQAD. "The lack of care for those service members who served in combat on foreign soils or put their lives on the line during active duty. Only to lose their lives because of failed leadership."