54 deaths related to coronavirus outbreaks at Southern Illinois long-term care centers
At least 54 people at long-term care centers across the metro-east have died after outbreaks of the coronavirus in those facilities, according to state and local data.
As of Monday, 24 people at nursing homes and other residential facilities in St. Clair County had died, which is 49% of the 49 deaths countywide.
The St. Clair County Health Department provided an update Monday on the nine sites where the virus that causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease has now spread. It began referring to the locations as “congregate living facilities” this week because two new places with outbreaks are not considered long-term care facilities like the other seven. All of the reported deaths were at long-term care facilities for people who are sick or elderly.
Here is the latest information on known or suspected COVID-19 patients at facilities in St. Clair County, either because of a test result or their symptoms:
- Four Fountains in Belleville - 61 patients and 12 deaths
- Memorial Care Center in Belleville - 43 patients and five deaths
- Lebanon Care Center- 33 patients and four deaths
- BRIA of Belleville - 12 patients and two deaths
- Caritas Family Solutions in Belleville - Six patients
- St. Paul’s Home in Belleville - Five patients and one death
- Help at Home in O’Fallon - Five patients
- BRIA of Cahokia - Five patients
- Colonnade in O’Fallon - Three patients
BRIA of Cahokia’s outbreak was first announced in the health department’s Saturday, May 2, update. The health department added Caritas Family Solutions and Help at Home to the list Monday.
Caritas is a licensed child welfare and family service agency. In a prepared statement, the agency said it could not give specific information about the individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a federal privacy law. It could only confirm that the six people are at one of its locations in Belleville.
“We feel very grateful that those who tested positive are doing well and aren’t showing any signs or symptoms of the virus,” said Caritas Family Solutions’ CEO Gary Huelsmann in the statement. “Regardless, those who have tested positive are self-quarantining for the necessary CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommended guidelines, and we have taken extra measures to ensure that our staff and those we serve are safe.
“We’ve remained in close contact with the St. Clair Health Department throughout this situation,” he added.
Health officials provide updates daily during the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency’s 3:30 p.m. live streams on Facebook.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is also publishing data on long-term care facilities with outbreaks statewide at dph.illinois.gov/covid19/long-term-care-facility-outbreaks-covid-19. The state’s website is updated weekly. The information published online is what was submitted by health departments and laboratories a day earlier.
This is the information from the state’s Friday, May 1, update on known or suspected COVID-19 patients across the metro-east:
- Edwardsville Care Center - 90 patients and 15 deaths
- Carlyle HealthCare Center - 63 patients and four deaths
- Garden Place Columbia - 34 patients and 10 deaths
- Eden Village Care Center in Glen Carbon - 20 patients and one death
- Heritage Health in Macoupin County - Seven patients
- Oak Hill in Monroe County - Three patients
- Cedarhurst of Sparta - Two patients
- Coulterville Rehabilitation and Health Care Center - Two patients
This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 4:50 PM.
