A nurse in Norwich, Connecticut, who allegedly went in for her shift at a nursing home and worked without a mask despite knowing she may have been exposed to COVID-19, may be facing a criminal probe as the state investigates a virus outbreak at the facility, the Hartford Courant reports.
Three residents have died at the Three Rivers Healthcare facility, which state investigators have linked to failures in care, according to the newspaper. Mairead Painter, the Connecticut State Long Term Care Ombudsman, said investigators will be seeking licensure — and potential criminal — actions in the case.
“We are looking at all of our options to hold individuals responsible for their action,” Painter told the Courant. “I do feel that this clearly rises to the level of an elderly abuse issue. Someone knowingly going into a facility, not feeling well and then going maskless is reckless behavior that endangered the lives of residents and led to this tragic situation.”
The supervising nurse allegedly went to work at the facility on July 24, knowing two members of her family she had recently had contact with were awaiting the results of their COVID-19 tests and when she was herself not feeling well, according to the newspaper. She was observed by other employees working without her mask on.
According to the Courant, the nurse was tested as part of a staff screening the same day and got back a positive result two days later. The two family members also tested positive for COVID-19 on July 26.
As of Wednesday, Connecticut has reported 4,467 deaths from coronavirus in the state, with more than 5,3108 confirmed and probable cases among residents since the start of the pandemic.
Read the full report at the Courant.
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