OP_032620

8 | March 26, 2020 | the orland Park Prairie news
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LWSRA provides timeline, answers inquiries
about participant who got the coronavirus
Bill Jones, Managing Editor
Joe Coughlin, Publisher
Lincolnway Special
Recreation Association
provided additional information
March 18 about a
situation involving one of
its participants who tested
positive for COVID-19
after taking part in three
events in early March, in
response to questions the
organization said it has
received since publicly
addressing the situation
March 16.
LWSRA issued a letter
March 18, offering a timeline,
message from the
parent of the Cook County
resident who reportedly
tested positive for COV-
ID-19 and answers to some
frequently asked questions
about the situation. It can
be viewed in full at lwsra.
org/assets/LWSRA-COV
ID-19-updates-3-18-2020.
pdf.
The timeline says the
participant may have come
in contact with someone
at Elim Christian Services
in Crestwood who tested
positive for the coronavirus,
though the letter from
LWSRA emphasizes this
has not been confirmed.
That LWSRA participant
then attended a Shamrock
Shuffle event March 6
at the Orland Park Civic
Center, spending 20 minutes
around 6 p.m. at the
LWSRA facility.
Nabeha Zegar, Orland
Park’s communications
manager said the Village is
aware of the participant’s
attendance as the Shamrock
Shuffle and has notified
participants who were
in attendance at the event.
Then, on March 8 the
8
participants attended a
Chicago Wolves game, as
part of an LWSRA program,
during which the
group sat in Section 116;
Rows P, Q and R; Seats
1-7. And on March 9, the
individual was part of an
LWSRA program at Thunderbowl
in Mokena.
LWSRA said the bowling
alley also was notified.
According to the participant’s
family, the individual
did not show symptoms
of COVID-19 until March
12, and LWSRA said it
was not aware at that time.
The person tested positive
for the coronavirus at
Northwestern Hospital in
Chicago, as previously reported.
On March 13, the association
said it canceled
programs, and cleaned
buses and vehicles, unaware
that an individual
was infected but to address
growing coronavirus concerns.
LWSRA received notice
of the positive coronavirus
test on March 16. It closed
the Lincolnway Special
Recreation Center that
day, according to the letter,
and staff started to notify
people.
“We have notified families,
other participants,
staff members — everybody
we know of who
worked with this individual,”
LWSRA Executive
Director Keith Wallace
said March 16. “We are
following all of the protocols
in place right now by
the CDC and even going
above and beyond that.”
He noted he contacted
State and county health
departments, as well.
LWSRA confirmed in
the letter that the participant
was on buses, which
were sanitized after the
March 6 and March 8
events. Daily sanitizing
started March 13 in an effort
to be “proactive,” according
to LWSRA.
The organization said no
one on its staff has been
experiencing symptoms.
The letter also notes the
participant did not take
part in a March 9 lunch,
but was on the bus the day
prior to that program going
out. It also notes LWSRA
moved a polling place and
canceled a board meeting
“in the best interest of the
community.”
The parent told LWSRA
the participant has had a
“mild case” up until this
point, showing a fever
March 12 and a cough
that is “nearly gone” as of
March 18.
The Q&A adds that
LWSRA will not provide
participant information,
but anyone who thinks
their children have directly
contacted the individual
should self-isolate for
14 days and monitor for
symptoms. The letter also
suggests notifying one’s
primary care physician if
symptoms develop.
LWSRA’s building and
buses are to be cleaned
and sanitized the week of
March 27
The LWSRA is a nonprofit
organization that
serves those with mental
and physical disabilities
through athletic, social and
educational programming.
LWSRA programming is
suspended through April
5, and its offices until
March 30, in accordance
with Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
guidelines.