22 people at Illinois nursing home test positive for coronavirus
CHICAGO -- Officials have announced that 22 people at a nursing home in suburban Chicago have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the state total to 160.
The announcement was made Tuesday afternoon at a press conference with Governor JB Pritzker and state officials.
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced this past weekend the first resident at a nursing home in suburban Willowbrook tested positive for COVID-19. Following aggressive testing at the Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in DuPage County, IDPH has now confirmed an additional 21 cases at the facility, 17 residents and four staff.
The cluster is now contained. Two patients remain hospitalized while the conditions of the others is unknown.
“In addition to the death we are sad to report today, we are also reporting an outbreak of COVID-19 in a long-term care facility,” IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement. “Residents in nursing homes are our most vulnerable population and we are doing everything we can to protect them. We may see cases in other long-term care facilities, which is why it is so important that we all do our part to reduce possible exposure in the community to those who go in and out of these facilities as they provide care to resident.”
Updated guidance for nursing homes:
-Restrict all visitation except for certain compassionate care situations, such as end of life residents
-Restrict all volunteers and non-essential health care personnel (e.g., barbers)
-Cancel all group activities and communal dining
-Implement active screening of residents and health care personnel for fever and respiratory symptoms
Governor Pritzker also announced the first death from COVID-19 in Illinois – a Chicago woman in her 60s.
Meanwhile, Chicago’s health commissioner said Tuesday that “I suspect we are going to see a lot more cases in the days to come because we are seeing a lot more testing,” said Dr. Allison Arwady. “That is a good thing.”