Concern About COVID-19 Deaths In Nursing Homes Grows In DuPage County, Around State
CAROL STREAM, Ill. (CBS) -- Twenty-one percent of the 1,349 COVID-19 deaths in Illinois have been in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
More than 100,000 people currently live in those facilities.
As CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reported, 15 people have died of coronavirus at the Covenant Living at Windsor Park retirement community, between North Avenue and St. Charles Road in Carol Stream. That is about 15 percent of the total deaths in DuPage County.
"When there's an outbreak at a long-term care facility, there is so much to do all at once," Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday.
And the trouble is there have been plenty of outbreaks across the state.
At Covenant Living at Windsor Park, there have been 81 reported COVID-19 cases, including the 15 residents who have died.
Countywide in DuPage, there have been more than 90 deaths. But 64 of them happened in the county's 50 long-term care facilities.
"Older residents, especially those in long-term care facilities, are especially vulnerable to the disease," said DuPage County Community Health Resources Director Chris Hoff.
Since the first outbreak was detected at the Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook last month, the contagion has spread to 28 other long-term care facilities in DuPage County.
Hoff said word of positive coronavirus cases has made employee retention an issue.
"We've seen examples of staff that have decided it's not in their interest to continue to work," he said.
The governor said teams of specialists are being sent by the state into nursing homes with confirmed outbreaks.
With more than 1,200 long-term facilities across the state, it's a challenge.
"The most effective way to respond to an outbreak was to have a strike team of experts and advisers immediately make people and resources from the (Illinois) Department (of Public Health) available to double- and triple-check that training and guidelines were being followed," Pritzker said.
Hoff appreciates the personal protective equipment and training that the state has provided, but he said more money for the states long-term care facilities is also needed to address this unprecedented crisis.
"Long-term care facilities are traditionally underfunded and under resourced, and so they're facing a huge challenge in trying to keep residents and staff, frankly, safe," he said.
Officials said a total of 70 coronavirus cases are being reported at Covenant Living at Windsor Park. They say the state is reporting more cases because they are including people who are symptomatic, but have not yet tested positive.
The facility said it is praying for those who have lost their lives, who are all loved members of the Covenant family.