As the COVID-19 death toll at the LaSalle Veterans' Home has now swelled to 34, state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) is hoping GOP lawmakers in Springfield will finally be heard.
“Weeks ago when the outbreak first occurred, Republican members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee requested hearings on the COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home,” Mazzochi told the DuPage Policy Journal. “To date, no hearings have occurred and little action has been taken on a heartbreaking and horrifying outbreak.”
State lawmakers recently convened a hearing on the matter, though many walked away with as many questions as they had going into the gathering. Mazzochi argues much of the blame for the information vacuum falls on the shoulders of Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
“If the governor is going to continue to go at it alone on the state’s pandemic response and the House Democrat leadership is willing to let him, then we need answers and action on tis immediately from this administration,” Mazzochi said.
Heading the list of the most burning questions for committee members are concerns about pinpointing a timeline for when and how the issues in the facility kicked off. Members have already committed to meeting again sometime this year to discuss the LaSalle Veterans' Home deaths.
Since the outbreak began, the Department of Veterans Affairs officials have already imposed several changes at the facility. Among the changes include retraining for staffers on using masks, the replacement of its hand sanitizers and improving employee screening for things like getting rapid COVID-19 tests before shifts.
“Illinoisans deserve to know what happened and what is being done to protect our veterans from further exposure,” Mazzochi added.
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