An employee who worked at the arena where the Illinois House held its special legislative session last week has tested positive for coronavirus, according to House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chief of staff.
In a memo sent out Wednesday, Jessica Basham said that an employee who worked at the arena tested positive for the illness after the session of the legislature. The employee worked one shift at the arena during the session on May 21, but was not located in a space that was used for the special session or in the public viewing area.
According to the memo, it does not appear that the employee had any interaction with any legislators or staffers during the session.
The memo encourages legislators and staffers to be tested for coronavirus and to continue to monitor their health in the coming days. All participants in the legislative session are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days after the conclusion of the proceedings, according to the memo.
“It was an unprecedented step to hold session at the Bank of Springfield Center, which greatly minimized the chance of exposure to the COVID-19 virus,” the memo read. “This incident notwithstanding, I am not aware of any other person who has tested positive. I am working directly with Bank of Springfield staff and have asked that all BoS staff members get tested immediately and ensure that appropriate contact tracing efforts are underway.”
