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* UPDATED x1 * Read past the scary headline

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* This Tribune headline got a lot of attention, but the practice is actually national protocol [click here] when there’s a severe staffing shortage due to a COVID-19 outbreak and the infected employees are either working with already-infected residents or are confined to areas where they can’t spread the virus to others. If you read past the scary headline, you’ll see that both happened at LaSalle…

State VA official acknowledges employees with coronavirus allowed to work at LaSalle home where 33 veterans died

* Scroll down…

Staff members at LaSalle were not required to work after testing positive for the virus, but some chose to do so, Tony Kolbeck, chief of staff for the state VA department, said after being asked by legislators at a state House committee hearing whether employees were pressured to stay on the job.

“There were occasions in the overnight shift in which an individual was alerted that they were positive, they were in the COVID unit already,” Kolbeck said during the nearly four-hour House Veterans’ Affairs committee meeting. “They were asymptomatic and they chose to stay the rest of the shift. If they had not, there may have been a concern about not the proper staff being there in that overnight shift.” […]

For one staff member, Kolbeck said, “we were talking 2 o’clock in the morning, 3 o’clock in the morning, and they had exhausted all other avenues when she agreed to stay.”

He also detailed an instance when a maintenance worker came in “at the tail end” of a 14-day quarantine after testing positive to operate HVAC systems because other employees who operate those systems were out. He said the employee came into the work area through a separate entrance, had his own bathroom and did not leave the work area. [Emphasis added.]

This is the first of at least three posts I’m working on about LaSalle today.

*** UPDATE *** This is also old news. From Hannah Meisel’s December 4th report for NPR Illinois…

During that hearing, officials said five staff members who tested positive for COVID-19 volunteered to return to work despite their diagnosis. Centers for Disease Control guidelines do allow for healthcare personnel to return to work after testing positive for the virus to avoid staffing shortages, so long as they are fully donned with PPE and return to care for only patients who are already infected with the virus.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 11:05 am

Comments

Notice there is no negative test before returning to work. They are using Trump’s CDC guidelines when it is convenient operationally, even though it puts residents in danger.

Comment by Merica Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 11:15 am
If everyone had taken this seriously from the start we wouldn’t have been put into this situation. It also goes to show that we can’t just starve state government to “cut taxes”. There are real impacts which this is most likely one.

Comment by Publius Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 11:21 am
Do I understand that they had workers working that had tested for COVID19? That makes no sense that they would then be working but tell me I am wrong. This is not a good situation yet I do know an unfornute one that is hard to fill.

Comment by cler dcn Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 11:23 am
I was waiting on that second part;

=== “There were occasions in the overnight shift in which an individual was alerted that they were positive, they were in the COVID unit already,” Kolbeck said during the nearly four-hour House Veterans’ Affairs committee meeting. “They were asymptomatic and they chose to stay the rest of the shift. If they had not, there may have been a concern about not the proper staff being there in that overnight shift.”===

Here’s the sitch, for me… and where I was going…

During the initial part of the crisis, where it appears no one knew who told who what or when…

If the protocol is and was to have these positive workers work… did that get to the Director, sounds like the Chief knew, but the Governor’s office apparently said they hadn’t talked to their director for quite some time.

Then who exactly is in charge, and if it’s the Director, didn’t they think it important to update on this to someone, and if they did, why was the initial response seemingly that no one had talked to “someone”?

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 11:24 am
===even though it puts residents in danger===

What puts them more in danger: 1) Having a worker two weeks into quarantine fix an HVAC system while staying away from others; or 2) Having an HVAC system that seniors in ill health rely on go down?

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 11:30 am
“This is the first of at least three posts I’m working on about LaSalle today.”

That’ll keep IDVA senior staff on their toes for the day.

Comment by NIU Grad Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 11:32 am
North Dakota has been doing this in all hospitals and care facilities for a month.

And as Rich mentioned, this is national protocol for a “crisis capacity” situation as far as available health care workers.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/mitigating-staff-shortages.html

Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 11:39 am
=== this is national protocol for a “crisis capacity” situation as far as available health care workers.===

How is it that a breakdown in communication seemingly exists even to convey that to the first time reporters asked had the governor talked to the director.

You’d think after two dozens deaths, at that point, discussions would be a given, not a question to the last time those two spoke.

Seemingly the IDES director was changed for less.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 11:43 am
At least we are not cooking the books like in Florida and probably other places as well.

Comment by Publius Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 12:04 pm
===even though it puts residents in danger===

The guidelines, if followed, are meant to be protective of residents. The bigger issue may be the protection of other workers. I read an article on this topic where the workers explained that when these protocols are in place, they cannot take off their PPE even during breaks. This leads to additional stress and exhaustion plus the additional risk of the infection spreading among the workers.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 12:05 pm
Respect & admiration for the workers making tough decisions & trying to provide the best care & conditions possible in terrible circumstances. The other issues noted in the report are another story.

Comment by Carrie T Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 12:10 pm
What Deputy Governor oversees this agency?

Comment by Almost the weekend Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 12:23 pm
=== What Deputy Governor oversees this agency?===

Why isn’t a politically appointed director of an agency that has had over two dozen deaths talking directly to the governor about things when this first broke?

It appeared no one could recall who talked to who when.

That question makes me wonder what exactly is going on.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 12:26 pm
“Read past the scary headline”

American voters quit doing that in 1980, and its only gotten worse in the following 40 years.

Comment by Anyone Remember Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 1:44 pm
Question?
Who regulates state employee safety and health? Who is supposed to be making sure
IDVA and even IDPH is following the regulations.

The answer is state OSHA and if you remember early in JB admin he said it was one of 4 things that Rauner had done a lot of damage too. It was even posted on here as a thread.

I find it interesting none of this is being brought up.

Comment by The Dude Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 3:47 pm
I looked up the report I referenced in my post earlier.

Its called Digging Out: The Rauner Wreckage Report and it was released by JB February of 2019.

This was what I was referencing.

• Failing to follow federal OSHA and Illinois Department of Labor staffing enforcement plans. This
lack of adequate staffing put state, local and private sector workers at greater risk of on-the-job
injuries. Failure to comply also resulted in the loss of nearly $3.2 million in federal funding –
almost 50 percent of federal OSHA funding in FY17 and FY18.

I just wonder if they had enough time before the pandemic to build it back up again.

Comment by The Dude Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 3:52 pm