Employee: 'Blatant neglect' led to outbreak at Carter Place

Public health officials told Carter Place to have exposed health care workers self isolate.

That's not what employees were told in a text.

BIGGESTCONCENTRATIONSOF POSITIVECOVID-19 CASES INTHE OMAHA AREAHAS BEEN AT ANASSISTED-LIVINGFACILITY IN BLAIR.A 3 NEWS NOWINVESTIGATION HASREVEALEDDISTURBINGINFORMATIONABOUT HOW THEOUTBREAK THEREWAS HANDLED.3 NEWS NOWINVESTIGATOR JEFFVAN SANT HAS THESTORY.CARTER PLACE INBLAIR SITS EMPTYCLEARED OUT OFRESIDENTS AFTER19CONFIRMEDCASESOF COVID-19 -- 13RESIDENTS AND 6STAFF MEMBERS --THREE RIVERSCOUNTY HEALTHBELIEVES A CENTEREMPLOYEEBROUGHT THEVIRUS INTO THEFACILITY.11:13:46 THIS ISSERIOUS..THIS IS HERE IN ALLOF THECOMMUNITIES..A CARTER PLACEWORKER TELLS 3NEWS NOWINVESTIGATORS ITCOULD HAVE BEENAVOIDED SAYINGSHE SAW"ABSOLUTEBLATANT NEGLECT"AT THE FACILITY..THAT SOCIALDISTANCINGMEASURESWEREN'TIMMEDIATELY PUT INPLACE..SOME CLAIMSBACKED BY 3RIVERS HEALTHDEPARTMENT.CARTER PLACE'SOWNER ENLIVANTCANCELEDCOMMUNITY-SPONSOREDEVENTS ON MARCH 13-- BUT SAYRESIDENTS DIDN'TBEGIN SELFISOLATING UNTILMATCH 23RD...THE SAME DAY ASTHE FIRST POSITIVETEST OF ARESIDENT.NATIN FACT --RESIDENTS STILLGATHERED...ONE GROUP EVENPLAYINGCARDS, AGAME HEALTHDEPARTMENTOFFICIALS SAYHELPED SPREADTHE VIRUS..11:18:47:28 WEHADCERTAININDIVIDUALS WHOSAT TOGETHER ANDPLAYED CARDS..THAT KIND OFSPENT A LOT OFTIME TOGETHER..WE CAN LINK BACKOUR SOURCE SAYSTHEFACILITY EVENLACKEDTHERMOMETERSUNTIL MARCH 21ST-- WHEN ENLIVANTSAYSTHEY STARTEDSCREENING STAFF,VISITORS ANDRESIDENTS.BUT, WHEN SOMERESIDENTS WEREFOUND TO HAVEFEVERS, THEYWERE NEVERREPORTED TO THEHEALTHDEPARTMENT..BY MARCH 23RD..THE FACILITY GETSITS FIRST COVID-19CASE A WOMAN INHER 90S.THREE RIVERSADVISED THEFACILITY THATEMPLOYEESEXPOSED TOTHATRESIDENTSHOULD SELFISOLATE BUT ATEXT FROM CARTERPLACEMANAGEMENT TOLDSTAFF .."THERE IS NONEED TO SELFQUARANTINE...ANDPER COMPANYPOLICY ANYONEWHO CHOOSES TODO THAT WILL BECONSIDERED SELFTERMINATION FROMCARTER PLACE".ENLIVANT TOLD 3NEWS NOW THATSTAFF NOWSHOWINGSYMPTOMSWERE ATALLOWED IN THEBUILDING..OUR SOURCE SAYSSOME WEREWORRIED TO COMEBACK TO WORK.A CARTER PLACEADMINISTRATORTOLD STAFF IN ATEXT -- "IF YOU ARESICK AND HAVE ADOCTORS NOTETHATS ONE THING.BUT OTHERWISENO." THREERIVERSSAYS THEYRECEIVED SIMILARCOMPLAINTS THEWHISTLEBLOWERSAYS AS LATE ASMARCH 26THADMINSTRATORSWERE TELLING 3RIVERS HEALTHTHAT NO ONE ATTHE FACILITY WASSHOWINGSYMPTOMS.THE NEXT DAY --THE HEALTHDEPARTMENTASKED FORTEMPERATURELOGSOF RESIDENTSSHOWING FEVERSSTARTING UP 3DAYS EARLIER..TESTS REVEALED 3OUT OF 4 HAVECOVID-19.AS CASES GREW ITWAS DECIDED TOMOVE RESIDENTSOUT ON SUNDAYMARCH 29TH ..THREE RIVERS SAYSTHAT COULD'VEBEEN DONEEARLIER IF THEYKNEW ABOUTTHEFEVERS ENLIVANTSAYS THEY AREPERFORMING ADEEP CLEANING OFTHE COMMUNITY..THENEBRASKAHEALTHDEPARTMENTWOULDN'T SAYWHETHER ANINVESTIGATION ISUNDERWAY AT THEFACILITY..NATWE'VE SEEN THEEFFECTS COVID-19CAN HAVE ONSENIORS..A FACILITY INWASHINGTON STATEWAS DEVASTATEDBY THE VIRUS..37DEATHS..THAT FACILITY HASBEEN FINED MORETHAN 600-THOUSANDDOLLARS FORFAILING TOPROPERLY REPORTRESPIRATORYILLNESSES TOAUTHORITIES FORTWO WEEKS..DELAY CAN HAVEDEADLYCONSEQUENCES..LOCAL HEALTHEXPERTS WARN..TAKE THIS VIRUSSERIOUSLY --JEFFVAN SANT 3NEWS NOW