Health department investigating COVID-19 spread from Inverness Halloween gatherings
The Cook County Department of Public Health is investigating a report that several people celebrating Halloween at Inverness Golf Club have tested positive for COVID-19, with the venue denying any wrongdoing.
In an email sent Monday to parents in Palatine Township Elementary School District 15, Superintendent Laurie Heinz said an event took place Oct. 23 and drew more than 100 people, including some with children in the district. Heinz urged those who attended to alert the district and keep their students home from school until Monday, Nov. 9.
Jim Mitchell of Mitchell Marketing Management, representing the golf club, said in a statement there were really two Halloween events, one Oct. 24 for adult members and one Oct. 25 for members and their children, and both had less than 45 people.
“The largest attendance we had at any of the separate events that weekend was 41, with others being under 35,” he said. The children's event was scheduled in 30-minute increments to manage the flow of people, he said. The club held no events Oct. 23, he said.
A gathering of more than 100 people on Oct. 23-25 would have been against COVID-19 guidance in Illinois, which allowed gatherings of up to 50 people at the time. That was further restricted Oct. 28 for suburban Cook County, where gatherings now are limited to 25 people or 25% of overall capacity, whichever is less, both indoors and outdoors.
“Inverness Golf Club has adhered to all COVID-prevention guidelines without exception or compromise. In most cases we have implemented policies more stringent than required,” Mitchell said. “As a standard practice, we had limited all events to 45 people rather than 50 out of a desire to be more cautious.”
Kimberley Conrad Junius, spokeswoman for the Cook County Department of Public Health, said Monday the office is aware of the report of a gathering with more than 100 people and is “in the process of investigating.”
The golf club got a call Oct. 27 from a member who reported testing positive, and the club informed the mayor and the Illinois Department of Health, Mitchell said.
“One member of the staff had a positive test result, at which time we shut down our food service facility. All members of the staff were tested that had exposure and not allowed to return to work until receiving a negative test,” he said.
“Anything being shared by other organizations has been done without verifying information,” Mitchell also said.
In her email to parents, Heinz wrote: “We continue to work very hard to keep our schools open each day through the consistent implementation of numerous safety precautions such as distancing, wearing masks, washing hands, and disinfecting regularly. Despite our efforts, we know that some circumstances are out of our control, namely what families engage in outside of school.”
“For the safety of the school community, we are asking that if you were in attendance at this event, PLEASE let us know and take the necessary steps to stop the spread of this highly contagious virus by keeping your students home until Monday, November 9, which is 14 days past the date of the gathering.”