Centralia center for people with developmental disabilities has 23 coronavirus cases
Warren G. Murray Developmental Center, a residential facility in Centralia for people with developmental disabilities, has 17 residents and six staff members who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
The center’s director, Lori Demijan, notified parents of residents of an outbreak of 17 initial cases in a letter Wednesday, according to Rita Winkeler, president of Murray Parents Association. On Thursday, six additional cases were confirmed.
“The center has done absolutely everything right,” said Winkeler, of Bartelso, whose 35-year-old son, Mark Winkeler, has been living at Murray for 20 years. “Our staff has just gone way above and beyond. We could not be anymore grateful.”
Rita Winkeler said the center has allowed no parents, guardians or other visitors since March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and that staff have been cleaning and disinfecting constantly, as well as taking temperatures of residents and employees two or three times a day.
Calls to media contacts for the Illinois Department of Human Services and Illinois Department of Public Health and to Murray’s administrative offices were not returned Wednesday afternoon.
Rita Winkeler said COVID-19 testing of Murray residents started Friday, when a young man who lives in Grape Cottage developed a slight fever. After he tested positive, so did his roommate and 14 other residents.
The resident and staff members whose cases were confirmed Thursday work or reside in the same cottage.
“They’re all living in the same unit, but none of them are really sick,” Winkeler said, noting all who tested positive are quarantined. “It’s good. It’s wonderful. But that’s what’s really bad about this virus. You can have it and not really have any symptoms.”
Murray provides support and habilitation training for up to 325 people who have a broad spectrum of individual behavioral and medical needs, according to its profile on the Illinois Department of Human Services website. It opened in 1964 and consists of 13 major buildings on a 120-acre campus.
Murray now has 254 residents who live in seven cottages, Winkeler said. That includes her son, who functions at a 9-month-old level and whose official diagnosis is cerebral palsy.
Each cottage has four residential units that can accommodate 60 to 64 residents with day areas, dining rooms, dietary and nurse’s stations and laundries, the profile states. Cottages are interconnected with walking paths for access to a community building.
“The mission of Murray Center is to consistently and respectfully provide quality person-centered supports and services to people with developmental disabilities to assist them in achieving optimal health, independence and happiness and to develop or maintain family and community involvement to the maximum extent possible,” the profile states.
This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 6:41 PM.
