(AP/WBBM Newsradio) -- An investigative report by an Illinois inspector general found a chain of miscommunication, lax policy and missed opportunities leading up to and during a COVID-19 outbreak last fall at the LaSalle Veterans' Home.
The report on the deaths of 36 residents was released Friday. It found the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs had no consistent policies for dealing with the infections that struck in November and staff members worked in an environment that was "reactive and chaotic.”
Gov. JB Pritzker told reporters downstate the new head of the department, Terry Prince, is already making changes based on the finding of the inspector general’s report.
But Republican state lawmakers say the Democratic governor must take responsibility for the tragedy. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said people need to be held accountable, and he suggests a criminal investigation.
Pritzker’s previous veterans department director, Linda Chapa LaVia, resigned early this year.