Dupage Policy Journal

Gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin raised his concerns about how Gov. J.B. Pritzker handled the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the LaSalle Veterans' Home.

“The audit said that all but four of the 36 who tested positive prior to the first site visit from the (Illinois) Department of Public Health (IDPH) and it’s crystal clear from what we’re reading and seeing that Pritzker and his team only began to care about this after the media began to point it out and bring it to his attention,” Irvin said during a news conference. “As a veteran who proudly served my country in combat, I’m sickened by the fact that Pritzker and his administration sat idly by instead of springing into action to save the lives of those who served our country and defended our freedoms.”

IDPH reported that 33,695 people died from the coronavirus.

“Although the (IDPH) officials were informed of the increasing positive cases almost on a daily basis, IDPH did not identify and respond to the seriousness of the outbreak,” the auditor wrote, CBS News reported. “All but four residents who died were positive prior to the date of the IDPH site visit.”

Aurora Mayor Irvin said Pritzker could have handled the situation better.

“Safety protocols and procedures should have been in place at large-scale live-in facilities,” Irvin added. “Especially those run by the state and JB Pritzker, who talked about the seriousness of (the coronavirus) on TV daily. This wasn’t some silent disease that crept into the water system of an antiquated building.”

A state audit suggests that the facility was severely mismanaged during the peak of the pandemic, according to CBS News.

Irvin said there needs to be accountability.

“Gov. Pritzker needs to answer to the families who lost their loved ones because of his negligence. Gov. Pritzker needs to accept responsibility instead of consistently pointing the finger at others,” he said.

Thirty-six veterans died from the coronavirus at the LaSalle Veterans' Home during the 2020 outbreak, CBS News reported.