Cases of COVID-19 among workers doesn't stall KCK project

There are now 10 confirmed COVID-19 cases at a Kansas City, Kansas, construction site.

Multiple workers from the Donnelly College site claim Mark One Electric denied quarantine requests from its employees.

DEATHS ARE DECLINING.THERE ARE NOW TENCONFIRMED COVID-19CASES AT A K-C-KCONSTRUCTION SITE.FOUR OF THOSE CASESARE EMPLOYEES OF THESAME COMPANY.IN AN I-TEAM EXCLUSIVE:ANDY ALCOK SHOWS US,ONE OF THE PATIENTSCLAIMS THAT COMPANYDENIED QUARANTINEREQUESTS FROM ITSEMPLOYEES.THE WORK SITE ATDONNELLY COLLEGELOOKED DRAMATICALLYDIFFERENTTHIS PASTWEDNESDAY -- WHERECONSTRUCTIONCONTINUES ON A NEW 72-THOUSAND SQUARE FOOTACADEMIC BUILDING.ALL THE WORKERS HADMASKS AND WERE USINGTHEM...WITH MAYBE THEEXCEPTION OF A SMOKEBREAK.THIS PAST MONDAY, MANYOF THE WORKERSWEREN'T WEARINGMASKS..

EVEN AFTERSEVEN PEOPLE WHOWORKED AT THE SITETESTED POSITIVE FORCOVID-19.THAT NUMBER HAS NOWINCREASED TO 10..WITHIN THE LAST FEWWEEKS AS MANY AS 50PEOPLE HAVE WORKED ATTHE SITE AT ONE TIME.

THEHEAD OF THE PROJECT ORGENERAL CONTRACTOR ISEXCEL CORPORATION.COMPANY PRESIDENTJERRY KATLIN TOLD 41ACTION NEWS HE'SMONITORING THESITUATION.JERRY KATLIN/EXCELCONSTRUCTION"SHUT DOWN HASDEFINITELY BEENDISCUSSED.

IT'S ANOPTION THAT IS STILL ONTHE TABLE."BUT SO FAR, WORKCONTINUES.THE ULTIMATE DECISIONMAKER FOR THECONSTRUCTION SITE ISDONNELLY PRESIDENTMONSIGNOR STUARTSWETLAND.SWETLAND/DONNELLY COLLEGEPRESIDENT"MEDICAL EXPERTS TELLUS THAT IT'S NOTNECESSARY TO SHUTDOWN, THEY DON'TRECOMMEND WE SHUTDOWN."BUT MONSIGNORSWETLAND ALSO SAID HETOLD HIS OWN DONNELLYWORKERS IF THEY'RE INDIRECT CONTACT WITHSOMEONE WITH THEVIRUS, TO SELF-QUARANTINE FOR 14 DAYS.IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AT THEJOB SITE AFTER WORKERSLEARNED OF THE FIRSTPOSITIVE CASE FRIDAYAPRIL 10TH.MARK ONE ELECTRIC IS ASUB-CONTRACTOR AT THESITE.ACCORDING TO MULTIPLEMARK ONE EMPLOYEES,WHO DIDN'T WISH TO BEIDENTIFIED for fear of losingtheir jobs, TEN WORKERSFROM THAT COMPANYWENT TO THEIR FOREMANTHAT same DAY TO ASK TOSELF-QUARANTINE.THE WORKERS TELL 41ACTION NEWS THEIRFOREMAN'S RESPONSEWAS "ROSIE SAYS IF YOUDON'T ACCEPT AVAILABLEWORK, YOU WON'T GETUNEMPLOYMENT."ROSIE IS MARK ONEPRESIDENT ROSANAPRIVITERA BIONDO.ANDY ALCOC41 ACTION NEWS HASREACHED OUT TO HERMULTIPLE TIMESBEGINNING THIS PASTTHURSDAY.

SO FAR, SHEHAS NOT RESPONDED.NOW EXCEL CONFIRMSFOUR OF THE TENPOSITIVE CASES AREMARK ONE EMPLOYEES.STUART SWETLAND"IF THERE ARE COMPANIESOUT THERE THAT DON'THAVE THE BEST INTERESTOF THEIR WORKERS ATHEART, I DONT WANT TOWORK WITH THOSEPEOPLE IN THE FUTURE."SINCE MARCH FIRST, 12DIFFERENT COMPANIES ORSUBCONTRACTORS HAVEWORKED AT THEDONNELLY COLLEGE SITE.ONLY ONE OF THEM,TEMPCON HEATING ANDCOOLING, QUARANTINEDALL THEIR WORKERS FORA WEEK AFTER THE FIRSTPOSITIVE CASE APRIL 10TH.JERRY KATLIN/EXCEL"THATS THE ONLY ONETHAT HAS FORMALLYNOTIFIED US THAT THEYWERE GOING TOQUARANTINE, THAT'SCORRECT."A TEMPCON EMPLOYEETOLD 41 ACTION NEWSTHAT DECISION MAY HAVESAVED LIVES.ON SATURDAY, THEDONNELLY COLLEGE WORKSITE WENT THROUGH IT'STHIRD DISENFENCTINGSINCE THE FIRST POSITIVECOVID-19 CASE..THE HOPE IS THE 10 VIRUSCASES FROM DONNELLYSITE WORKERS HAVEN'TBEEN SPREAD FURTHERINTO THE COMMUNITY."ISN'T THAT POSSIBLE?STUART SWETLANDTHAT'S POSSIBLE WITHANY POSITIVE EXPLOSIONYES."THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENTPUBLIC HEALTHDEPARTMENT HASOFFEREDRECOMMENDATIONS TOKEEP THE DONNELLY SITEAS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.BUT CHIEFEPIDEMIOLOGISTELIZABETH GROENWEGHESAYS THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT DOESN'TSEND PEOPLE TOINVESTIGATE OUTBREAKSITES DUE TO VIRUSEXPOSURE CONCERNS.ELIZABETH GROENWEGHE/UGCHIEF EPIDEMIOLGIST"WE'RE NOT CHECKING ITOR ENFORCING THOSERECOMMENDATIONS,THEY'RE JUSTRECOMMENDATIONS ONHOW TO PREVENT THESPREAD OF THE VIRUS."WHILE THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT ISN'TRECOMMENDING ASHUTDOWN, TWOWORKERS CURRENTLY INQUARANTINE WITH COVID-19 BOTH SAY CLOSING THEDONNELLY SITE FOR TWOWEEKS AND KEEPING THEWORKERS HOME FOR THATPERIOD IS THE BEST WAYTO STOP THE SPREADANDY ALCOCK"IS IT MORE IMPORTANT TOGET YOUR PROJECT DONEON TIME OR IS THECOMMUNITY'S HEALTHMORE IMPORTANT?STUART SWETLAND"WELL OBVIOUSLY THAT'S AFALSE DICHOTOMY." "ITWOULDN'T BE GOOD FORALL THOSE PEOPLE WHOWOULD GO TO, MORETHAN LIKELY, JUST GO TOOTHER JOB SITES.""WHAT'S GOING TO TIP THEBALANCE?"A GOVERNMENTALAGENCY THAT REQUIRESUS TO SHUT THE JOB SITEDOWN."IF THE PROJECT GOESFORWARD AS PLANNED,IT'S SUPPOSED TO BECOMPLETED BY LATE JULYOR EARLY AUGUST.I'M INVESTIGTOR ANDYALCOCK, 41 ACTION NEWS.ACCORDING TO EXCEL,THE LAST POSITIVE CASEINVOLVED ANASYMPTOMATIC WORKER.HE WAS GIVEN ANANTIBODY TEST BECAUSEHE HAS AN IM