SALEM, Ore. — UPDATE: Ashley Grames is no longer employed by Salem Health, according to a spokesperson. Salem Health did not confirm whether she was fired or resigned.
Original story below:
A Salem Health nurse has been placed on administrative leave following a viral TikTok in which she stated that she did not wear a mask out in public away from work and let her children engage in play dates.
The original TikTok from user Loveiskind05 was deleted, however, a duet of her original video, where another user is reacting to her video, has more than 240,000 likes and more than 5,000 comments after only approximately 24 hours.
Salem Health released a statement on Saturday on its Facebook stating that the nurse's views do not reflect that of Salem Health's and she has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
The statement reads:
Yesterday, a nurse employed with Salem Health posted a video on social media which displayed cavalier disregard for the seriousness of this pandemic and her indifference towards physical distancing and masking outside of work. This video has prompted an outcry from concerned community members. We want to thank those of you who brought this to our attention and assure you that we are taking this very seriously. This individual does not speak for Salem Health and has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
We also want to assure you that this one careless statement does not reflect the position of Salem Health or the hardworking and dedicated caregivers who work here.
Salem Health believes we all need to do our part to protect the vulnerable and stop the rapid spread of COVID-19. This includes requiring staff, patients and visitors to follow guidance from the CDC and others about mask wearing and social distancing. The COVID pandemic is serious and requires a serious response. And at Salem Health we are very serious about our approach to COVID.
The hospital's post on Facebook had more than 400 comments and 60 shares just seven hours after it was posted.
The TikTok claims that the nurse is an oncology nurse at Salem Health, which is a claim that was not confirmed or denied in Salem Health's statement.
You can view the viral TikTok here, which is a duet where the poster reacts to a video that is not theirs. The original TikTok has been deleted along with the original poster's account: