The virus has also claimed the lives of 23 giants, officials said.
The Covid-19 outbreak at the Illinois giant’s home has infected about 200 people and killed 23 residents, officials said.
Seven residents of the state-run long-term care facility are currently hospitalized, Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs spokeswoman Brigitte Dooley confirmed to ABC News.
The epidemic has reached a huge number of household veterans, including 111 residents, according to Dooley.
“It’s a tragedy,” he said. “We’re all ruined by it.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, long-term care facilities are at increased risk of being affected by COVID-19 due to their aggregated nature and especially the elderly population with underlying health conditions.
LaSalle County is also experiencing high rates of COVID-19 spread. Local state officials said in a Facebook post that it is currently in the state’s orange state, meaning “there are warning signs of an increased risk of COVID-19 in the county.”
They said the county has also recently experienced a “sharp increase” in cases. The total number of Lasalle cases has more than doubled in the past month, from 2123 on November 21 to nine. Reached 5,048 on the 18th. Its seven-day rolling positivity rate was 20.4% as of November 15, according to state statistics.
“It’s really hard to keep COVID out of these places when there’s a lot going on in the community,” Dooley said.
To curb the epidemic, veterans are currently investigating employees at every shift change and residents using daily antigen tests, officials said. It also conducts daily health checks of employees.
Visitors have also been limited to compassionate care visits for people with COVID-19, officials said.
“We are adhering to the latest medical guidelines and are working closely with state, federal and local health authorities to ensure the continued care of all our residents and the testing and safety of anyone who is potentially exposed,” said Angela Mehlebrech. Admin, one line. “We are grateful to our team for being very vigilant about the signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and for responding quickly, accurately and professionally in any possible cases.”
With two new cases reported on Wednesday, officials said the outbreak was slowing.
According to the Covid Tracking Project, the Midwest is the “center” of the COVID-19 outbreak in long-term care facilities. Last week, there was a 17% increase in cases in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other facilities, with 38% in the Midwest, the tracker found. About 35% of the country’s long-term care deaths reported last week were in the region.
Illinois reported double the number of new cases last week, with 1,932 cases, up from 838.
Cases of COVID-19 in the state government and the Midwest, hospital admissions and rising death toll
Starting Friday, Illinois museums, theaters and casinos will be temporarily closed, and indoor recreational activities will be suspended. People are also requested to stay at home and avoid gatherings.
“We will continue to see an increase in both hospital admissions and deaths in COVID-19 this week due to pre-existing infections, but we will be able to change our long-term outcome,” Pritzker said during a press briefing on Tuesday. “If we make changes now to stop its changes, we could potentially save thousands of lives in the next few months.”
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